We welcome thoughtful comments and respectful opinions that help make the case for the restoration of Marshall Field's to State Street and elsewhere. Off-topic, obviously incorrect, disrespectful or abusive posts will removed at the host's discretion, although an attempt will be made to contact the author, assuming a valid email address is provided with the post. The ethos is conversational--corrections are welcomed. Differing or opposing views are welcome and such posts should respect that this is a blog for opinions of Field's supporters. Due to problems with spam attacks--some even from those opposed to our cause--during certain periods, posts are moderated. As a result, it may take up to seven days for your post to appear, but usually it will take less than a day, and sometimes even immediately. Thank you for your patience, support, and written contributions.

Matshall Fields is a local icon of the Chicago citizenry. While I grew up on the East Coast with Macy's as my department store, after living in Chicagoland for 10 years I grew to love the major department store known as Marshall Fields. In a time of so mich homoginized everything, oit was always so special to have something that was just of Chicago, local, modern, wonderfully istoric in which to shop. I go back to Chicago every year and miss this store. The buildong itself is just so amazong. There is nothng like it in the Macy's world. Bring back Chicago's historic department store. And all os grandeur. Some things should never be changed. This is one of those important things.

Matshall Fields is a local icon of the Chicago citizenry. While I grew up on the East Coast with Macy's as my department store, after living in Chicagoland for 10 years I grew to love the major department store known as Marshall Fields. In a time of so mich homoginized everything, oit was always so special to have something that was just of Chicago, local, modern, wonderfully istoric in which to shop. I go back to Chicago every year and miss this store. The buildong itself is just so amazong. There is nothng like it in the Macy's world. Bring back Chicago's historic department store. And all os grandeur. Some things should never be changed. This is one of those important things.

So Lundgren is leaving? Sometimes change IS good. Hope this is a change for the better, and for listening to the customers giving them what they want--A RETURN TO MARSHALL FIELD'S IN NAME, QUALITY AND SERVICE!

Terry Lundgren, the former CEO of Macy’s Inc., is leaving his role as executive chairman of the Cincinnati-based retailer (NYSE: M).

Current CEO Jeff Gennette, who has been in that role since March 2017, has been appointed to replace Lundgren as chairman when Lundgren retires on Jan. 31.

“I am proud of our company’s growth, accomplishments and the talent we developed during the 14 years I have led Macy’s, Inc.,” Lundgren said in a statement. “I have worked closely with Jeff and his team over the past two years, focusing on the changes and vision required for future success. I am confident that the company has the strategies, resources, talent and leadership to capitalize on the fundamental shifts in consumer shopping patterns we have all experienced.”

The move completes the transition plan that was announced in June 2016. Following Lundgren’s exit, the company’s board will have 10 directors and Marna Whittington will remain lead independent director.

“Terry has been an outstanding leader for Macy’s and an inspiration for the industry. I thank him for the guidance he has given me during (continues...)

Thanks to all who helped make this past Saturday's activities on State Street a great success. We were a little shorthanded, so it was a little harder to take photos. Nevertheless, when it was time for me to leave, I could not-people kept walking up to me asking to have their photos taken!!! Over 500 pin-on buttons and as many bookmark fliers were giving away between noon and 2 PM . Many thanks to all who helped make it happen, especially Gloria, John, Gail, Gayle, Alfred, Frank, Lucie, Sara, Please plan to join us and help next Saturday, December 9 from around noon hour—check this page or our website for exact time. We hope you can come out and be part of our action.
All photos (c)2017 FieldsFansChicago & Jim McKay. All rights reserved. Permission for publication granted provided there is a photo credit.

All photos (c)2017 FieldsFansChicago & Jim McKay. All rights reserved. Permission for publication granted provided there is a photo credit.

FANTASTIC PHOTOS!!!!!!!! And I'm getting more comments on my "Time to Bring Back Field's" button again, as I usually get at Christmastime. We have almost no place left to shop for gifts anymore. Some people still love the hands-on experience of a store. I know I do. I wish I could shop at Field's again!

Oh me, oh my. What have those wacky folks at Macy's done to the "great tree" in the Walnut Room? There is no tree. Replaced by what appears to be a molded plastic pyramid. Sad. Macy's has several displays celebrating a century of trees. Photos of real trees with real ornaments. It only proves how downmarket Macy's have taken the wonderful Marshall Fields tradition.

And don't get me started on the uninspired holiday Windows. They are barely worth a glance.

We'll be out on State Street under the Great Marshall Field's Clock at State and Washington from 11:30 am–1 pm (& beyond) Saturday, December 2, 2017. Come get one of our pin-on "Time To Bring Back MARSHALL FIELD'S" pin on buttons and one of our bookmark flyers, and pose for a selfie photo with one of our signs with various messages. When posted to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts, the combined effect is our Selfies Rally for Fields.

We will also be out under the clock for 1–2 hours Saturdays through December 23. Please make a plan to stop and help or at least say hello and pose for a selfie.

* Reminder of some rules 1) Please save (ie do not post) nostalgia items on Saturdays when we are out on State Street; and 2) post no regrets about being unable to attend on this group page.

So far, we have over 50 photos of what I estimate to be about 70 people who wanted to be photographed supporting Marshall Field's return. These were taken under The Great Clock at State and Washington during on Black Friday and Saturday, November 24 & 25, 2017 over a period of about 2 hours each day.

Thank you to all who supported our campaign under The Great Clock so far this holiday season, especially John, Gloria, Saram Gail, Gayle, Alfred, and Frank. Also not forgetting several of you who prefer to remain anonymous and everyone who has supported us by sharing or "liking" links to our images, posts, and more here and on our other social media channels. And of course all who posed for selfies. THANK YOU!

Below are the thumbnails of the photos. Upon request via email to me at jjmckay AT me DOT com, I will post the larger, full image. The photos are presented roughly in reverse chronological order.

All photos (c)2017 FieldsFansChicago & Jim McKay. All rights reserved. Permission for publication granted provided there is a photo credit.

You will also recall that we had heavy rains and wind on Saturday, November 4, 2017 when we were out under the clock for the unveiling of the holiday season store windows and great tree. Here are the six photos we were able to squeeze in during the gaps in the bad weather.

All photos (c)2017 FieldsFansChicago & Jim McKay. All rights reserved. Permission for publication granted provided there is a photo credit.

I went to Macys/former Fields State Street yesterday to take my daughter to the Walnut Room and see Santa. I hadn’t been to this store in years and the windows were so sad and disappointing. I do however have to give credit to the employees in the restaurant and in the Santa area. They were very pleasant and organized and friendly to my Mom, daughter and I. The store also seemed cleaner and more organized than I remembered. We also had a wonderful and tasty lunch (pot pie is still amazing) and the tree was actually very pretty and my daughter loved the fairies. The BEST part though was a group of women dining together and they all had those beautiful green Fields shopping bags from around 2002-2003. My mother and I of course commented right away to the women and they were gracious enough to give us a bag! Apparently one of the women had a stockpile of the bags and gave them to her friends. We were so happy to see that green and the Fields name in a sea of red stars. I carried it throughout the rest of my visit with pride!

Just have to say I walked through the first floor cosmetics department through to the handbags and out the side door on Monday night. So depressing. The Tiffany dome was barren - nothing festive at all hanging there, then in the atrium there were some over-sized red nylon boxes suspended from the ceiling but when I said out loud "Well this just looks cheap and depressing" a staff member on her way out said "That's an understatement...it's like they aren't even trying." We made the trek up to see the walnut room, and the tree was completely non-descript. The only stand-out was the star - which looked like it had been ripped right off of the Kremlin and set on top of the tree. Such a jarring sight and we commented on how it looked like a "Soviet" holiday from top to bottom. The windows on state street lacked any music and hardly any animation. Just a depressing and sad state of affairs on all levels. And they wonder why no one wants to shop there...gee I wonder why.

My fondest memory of that clock had nothing to do with Black Friday or even Christmas (tho I always loved it when we went downtown to see the windows!). One New Year's Eve I was staying with a friend in Chicago and she had heard that the city was doing something similar to the ball drop in NYC, and it would be at the Marshall Field's clock. It was a terrible night, snowing like crazy and when we showed up, I think there were a half dozen other people. Each face had a slightly different time, so we negotiated on which one was "the" time, and at midnight, we cheered, some guy with one of those big plastic horns gave a big BLAT on it, and we scurried for the subway to get back to somewhere warm lolol.

i do wished that marshall fields was back over there was my Christmas childhood memories they had the Christmas windows ,santa's cozy cottage display, the fountain that huge Christmas tree with the train that circled around it in the walnut room to be exact - plus those funny Christmas elves wally and victor were there names those picture posters were al way's displayed in every room at the department stores when i was a kid my uncle he use to work there

Marshall Field's had some awesome sales, but no one ever got shot or trampled while trying to be the first to cram through the door at 3:00 am. It was never that kind of place. We queued up early in the morning so that our son could see Santa in the Cozy Cloud Cottage, then made a beeline to the 7th floor get our name on the list for lunch under the Great Tree in the Walnut Room. Plenty of other wonderful memories there.

Does seeing photos of Marshall Field and Company Building on State Street or the Great Clocks, being back Black Friday memories? Me-TV thinks so via their Facebook page...they ask, "Who wishes Marshall Field's was still around?" over 600 Likes, Loves, and Tears. 78 replies all wishing for Field's return.

It was great to be with Field's Fans on State Street yesterday Saturday, and hear comments and stories from people who stopped to pose for selfies in support of Field's. We still want our Marshall Field's for Christmas!

Because our regular helpers have to work this year, can you come during Friday's lunch hour?

We'll be out on State Street under the Great Marshall FIeld's Clock at State and Washington from 11:30 am–1 pm this Friday and Saturday, November 24 & 25, 2017. Come get one of our pin-on "Time To Bring Back MARSHALL FIELD'S" pin on buttons and one of our bookmark flyers, and pose for a selfie photo with one of our signs with various messages. When posted to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts, the combined effect is our Selfies Rally for Fields.

We will also be out under the clock for 1–2 hours Saturdays from November 25 through December 23. Please make a plan to stop and help or at least say hello and pose for a selfie.

* Reminder of some rules on our group page here 1) Please save (ie do not post) nostalgia items on Saturdays when we are out on State Street; and 2) post no regrets about being unable to attend on this group page.

PLEASE DO: Share our photos! Plan to come!

PLEASE DO: If you plan to come, please let me know so we can expect you. My email is jjmckay AT me DOT com

PUT YOUR WORDS HERE INTO ACTION! My phone is 312.927.4424

Special thanks to John, Gloria, Lucie, Gayle, Alfred, Judy, and everyone who has helped, and of course not forgetting Marianne and Gail.

This was on the front of the NYTimes Business Section today. Marshall Field’s and the State Street store is mentioned toward the end. But of course, this gives you an overall context of the way things are being handled by Macy’s. It suggests what could happen at State Street.

I agree that it was a bad decision to purchase May Company. They could have waited for May Company to declare bankruptcy and then cherry picked the assets along with Dillard’s. Macy’s needs to pair down its portfolio of stores by at least an additional 150 stores. Capital expenditure needs to happen in the stores and bring about the Macy’s “look.” They also need to start weening their customers off of the promotions. That was one of Ron Johnson’s biggest mistakes. He cut all sales promotions and coupons at once and brought about the fair and square pricing. There was no educating of the customer so it meant nothing. In fact, clearance was renamed “Best Value” and became blue sticker pricing. Who does that after decades and decades of red line clearancing? Johnson did have several great ideas - he cleaned up the stores, decluttered the aisles, brought in better brands like iJeans by Buffalo and Joe Fresh. His cardinal sin with private labels was dumping St John’s Bay which was a multi billion dollar brand offering basic polos, t-shirts, sweaters, etc. He also did not exploit the Liz Claiborne brand like he could have and should have.

The highly regarded by Wall Street (at that time), genius mastermind who destroyed the nation's popular regional department stores is credited (discredited) with "one of the top 5 worst decisions in retail history."

He, Eddie Lampert at Sears and Ron Johnson at JCPenney will be remembered as arrogant and pompous know-it-all's who did no market research or paid no attention to customer needs and expectations. When their so-called "strategy" failed, they resorted to gimmicks and games in an attempt to correct their mistakes. All three leave a legacy of destruction of iconic retailers, diminished stock values, thousands of lost jobs, hundreds of closed stores, millions of dollars in lost local tax revenues, damage to traffic at numerous shopping venues. A well-respected merchant always said "give the lady what she wants" but these "geniuses" thought they knew better. Their hubris caused irreparable harm.

Hi all, I would like to give an update on two former Field’s stores that i have been to recently. First is river oaks. The store seemed busy for a sunday and I wanted to buy sime frangos for my mother. I went to the basement and could clearly see where the candy counter and food was. It was sad as these were a vital part of fields. Also I was at northbrook last night and it was late so i wont judge the small crowd size. The store is still beautiful and truley a testament of what fields was - even if it was a store built by target. I stepped in to the elevator, still with the ‘MF’ on the door and checked out where the marketplace foods were. What i saw was sad as drywall slopily covered the food court and a curtain was blocking an entry. Remnants are more prevalent than in other stores with the marketplace rabbit over where i presume the candy counter was along with the blue tile. There are gabage cans still in the wall and tray return. Its sad to see such beautiful stores in this state and without their bustling food courts.

Gennette has a lot of good ideas and is quite reasonable. As a Macy's stockholder who attends Macy's stockholders meetings and makes the case that State Street would be much more productive and valuable to stockholders as Marshall Field’s , nevertheless, Gennette is a has generally good ideas. He just needs to bring Back Field's which would be worth a 100 great ideas. He is correct that the upper floors of State Street have been empty for over 25 years. Selling or leasing this upper part of the building--provided they don't have to alter the lower levels for access should not hurt the store--and should benefit it, not to mention not prevent a future return of the valuable brand experience that is Marshall Field’s .

I have in fact presented Macy’s with similar numbers, acquired in a method a little more rigorous than this, without some of the demographic skewing you would find in a Facebook group either. Macy’s head didn’t dismiss them, they just did not comment. But back to these Facebook numbers, they’re interesting, I think that might inspire some more serious study.

I went back to the "Original Chicago" post, went through all the responses, making sure every poster/member counted only once--regardless if they had more than one post--and came up with these figures as of 3:15 pm today. (Took me about 90 minutes) "Null" response means that the poster/group member didn't give a clear response.

Original Chicago, a Chicago discussion group not focussing on department stores, recently had a discussion/survey of whether people preferred Macy's or Marshall Field’s . Over 900 people (and counting) responded.

Not surprisingly, skimming the 900+ comments ALL except a very, very few are wanting Marshall Field’s over Macy’s.

During today's Morgan Stanley Global Consumer & retail Conference, Macy's, Inc. CFO, Karen Hoguet commented on the future of the Chicago State Street store that used to be operated as Marshall Field’s. From 16:04 until about 16:35, the CFO says that the upper floors of State Street will be repurposed for office space like what is happening at the NYC Lord & Taylor flagship and the downtown Seattle Macy's. You can listen here:

UPDATE, 10AM: Right now we're having waves of heavy thunderstorms this morning. I will be in the area starting around 11 AM but if it's raining we might go inside nearby. You can call my cell phone, 312.927.4424 and I can arrange to meet up with you and arrange a dry place place to give your buttons or pose with one of our signs. Planning to stay a little later than 1 PM in fact. Thank you.

PLEASE SHARE! THIS SATURDAY 11-1! SELFIES RALLY SUPPORTING THE RETURN OF MARSHALL FIELD & CO. to STATE STREET.

We'll be out on State Street under the Great Marshall FIeld's Clock at State and Washington from 11 am–1 pm this Saturday, November 4, 2017. Come get one of our pin-on "Time To Bring Back MARSHALL FIELD'S" pin on buttons and one of our bookmark flyers, and pose for a selfie photo with one of our signs with various messages. When posted to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts, the combined effect is our Selfies Rally for Fields.

We will also be out under the clock for 1–2 hours on Black Friday (November 24) and 5 Saturdays from November 25 through December 23. Please make a plan to stop and help or at least say hello and pose for a selfie.

* For this Saturday, we will be using signs and materials mostly from earlier this year and last holiday season, taking the pulse before we update our materials.

* Reminder of some rules on our group page here 1) Please save (ie do not post) nostalgia items on Saturdays when we are out on State Street; and 2) post no regrets about being unable to attend on this group page.

Chicago Tribune reports late this afternoon that Macy's on State Street is getting ready for the holiday season. This years six windows and great tree in the Walnut Room will offiicially be unveiled at Noon this Saturday, November 4.

Here are two links to the Tribune's Photo slide show and a short video giving an overview of the this year's decoration process.

PLEASE SHARE! THIS SATURDAY 11-1! SELFIES RALLY SUPPORTING THE RETURN OF MARSHALL FIELD & CO. to STATE STREET.

We'll be out on State Street under the Great Marshall FIeld's Clock at State and Washington from 11 am–1 pm this Saturday, November 4, 2017. Come get one of our pin-on "Time To Bring Back MARSHALL FIELD'S" pin on buttons and one of our bookmark flyers, and pose for a selfie photo with one of our signs with various messages. When posted to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts, the combined effect is our Selfies Rally for Fields.

We will also be out under the clock for 1–2 hours on Black Friday (November 24) and 5 Saturdays from November 25 through December 23. Please make a plan to stop and help or at least say hello and pose for a selfie.

* For this Saturday, we will be using signs and materials mostly from earlier this year and last holiday season, taking the pulse before we update our materials.

* Reminder of some rules on our group page here 1) Please save (ie do not post) nostalgia items on Saturdays when we are out on State Street; and 2) post no regrets about being unable to attend on this group page.

I liked the Frango.copm web site and have not seen the new Frango packaging in person, but from afar it seems like they have de-Chicagofied them. If you like Frangos then great, but for more than a few people that I know, what was so great was that they were from Marshall Field's in Chicago. (Nothing against Garrett.) With the new marketing, I'm not so sure I would select them when I have Fannie May Meltaways as an option. Just me.

I don't know for sure and certainly am not an official with any of the companies who

make or sell Frangos, however, Macy's still has them this holiday season in the usual boxes, at prices that seem much more promotional than direct from Garrett, the 20% off your first order offer from Frango.com not withstanding.

Look what they have done to Frangos! I've already posted my comment on their site. (The boxes, the packaging, the logo, etc. are no longer the same. They are now taking orders and there's a kiosk being set up on the first level of Water Tower Place. It is operated by Garrett and is independent of Macy's.)

This is why last January/February some of us were not so keen on the idea of the HBC/Macy's merger as the deal that would bring back Field's. Basically, the flagship will be the size of a larger suburban L & T.

ALSO: note that CEO and former Field's exec Jerry Storch is also out at HBC. On the other hand, Selfridges Group remains one of our top choices for an operator at State Street. Selfridges Group prides itself on restore store ethos, personality and identity, along with the local name and does so successfully in a contemporary way.

Lord and Taylor's flagship is getting what we feared for Field's; being sold off and shrunk to a suburban mall footprint. Richard Baker who controls Hudson's Bay sold the store to we work, an office sharing upstart. The store will be reduced from 650,000 sq ft to 150,000 sq ft. Baker is after all a real estate guy first, retailer second. He's doing that same deal with two Hudson's Bay stores as well as the Galeria flagship in Frankfurt. Interesting though, there will be a minor after hours access point to the we work space, but during store hours, office tenants must enter and leave through the retail stores

Beth: Parts of the interior of State Street are protected landmarks and parts are not. If it was too protected, you could run into issues if you even wanted to rearrange say, the bedding department. That said, what is protected inside is largely the State Street side--the first floor "rooms", the atria, the skylight, the Tiffany dome, the columns on State Street side, and the Walnut Room. That doesn't mean they can't be changed though--the remodeling of State/Randolph side (with the Burnham atrium) was such that they killed off the two eastern rows of bays to accommodate a truck court. Now the room's symmetry is severely altered.

All that said, as I've said off and on here, if the plan for the upper floors goes through, I think that they will use one of the Wabash side rooms for a lobby or, less likely something on Washington, perhaps near the 28 Shop entrance or above Holden Court.

Dayton's will live on in name. The developers that bought the Nicollet mall store is naming the retail portion as Dayton's and plans on using the Dayton's logo for the retail segment. It will be interesting which logo they use; the last Dayton's logo was sans-serif like Macy's, the older logo was a script that looked curiously like Field's.

On another note, the great clock ornament is back after dissappearing last year. It is no longer by Christopher Radko, but a cheap house brand in a funny silver color.

John L: I know. That one breaks my heart. I work in a fairly new building that sits on the site of another one that had been on the National Register of Historic Buildings. It was demolished about 3 or 4 years ago. Money rules.

To clarify, what's happening in Minneapolis is sad. They're basically putting the Dayton's name on the building that won't have much of anything like it used to be or in the spirit of Dayton's. THIS STORY ISN'T GOOD. Steve Grobe really hit the nail on the head. I think this is a bad thing. It suggests something along the lines of carving up a building like DePaul and shops in the former Goldblatt's building.

We don't want just the Field's name restored. That would be a disaster. But that's what they're doing. I posted this article as a warning, not something that you should click like or love.

To clarify, what's happening in Minneapolis is sad. They're basically putting the Dayton's name on the building that won't have much of anything like it used to be or in the spirit of Dayton's. THIS STORY ISN'T GOOD. Steve Grobe really hit the nail on the head. I think this is a bad thing. It suggests something along the lines of carving up a building like DePaul and shops in the former Goldblatt's building.

We don't want just the Marshall Field's name restored. That would be a disaster. But that's what they're doing. I posted this article as a warning, not something that you should click like or love.

Please realize that Minneapolis' last downtown department store was closed by Macy's Inc. Bringing back the Dayton's name would be for the building and the new development, and will not bring the old store back. Any idea that this foreshadows Field's coming back to State Street seems to me a pretty big stretch.

Had the exact same thought! Let’s just hope it stays to the upper floors, and the piece of the street level that they’re going to have to do to make an entry to the upper floors, is done with the utmost respect to this landmark.

Note: they are basically turning the former flagship into a shopping mall on the lower levels with offices higher up, but calling the mall "Dayton's". There are no plans to restore the department store. And the space will look way different than it has. ORIGINAL POST. They are hoping to reinstate the Dayton's name and logo, along with the Oak Grill in a new location within, but near the end of this piece it says,

"Even though visitors won’t recognize most of the space when the project is complete, developers say they hope the Dayton’s legacy will live on." I think what's most important to our cries is that we do need to ask, "To what extent could this happen at State Street under any proposed redevelopment of the upper floors?"

Get ready, Chicago! The "magic of macy*s" will make more of the iconic Marshall Field's building disappear very soon. This is only the beginning. Has anyone considered that part of the main floor will have to be closed off as a lobby for the upper floor offices? This would have to be an area near one of the elevator banks. You better believe that the "success" of selling off the upper floors will result in more floors being closed off. Macy has done that in other markets--constantly reducing the selling floors and downsizing merchandise selection.

When there is less merchandise for sale, there is less reason to visit the store. Fewer customers means even more downsizing. It's an endless spiral downward. I read that The Boston Store in downtown Milwaukee will drastically downsized, dropping home wares and children's departments. So anyone who needs these items will have to go elsewhere; think these shoppers are going back to the Boston Store for just to look for clothing? Fewer merchandise selections, fewer reasons to shop, fewer customers, store losing money, close it down.

This was my reply to the Chicago Tribune article on Macy's pending deal to sell the upper floors of State Street:

Floors 9 and up have been marketed for other purposes since the early 1990s. Still, it seems like the death by a thousand cuts for something that is more than a store--what was once until 2006 one of Chicago's top international destinations. Moreover, Selfridges (London's Marshall Field's) was brought back after being thought for dead under the UK's version of Sears, among others. Now it's a 2010s version of what Marshall Field's should be, even overtaking Harrods to be voted the world's #1 department store for multiple years. It is also very profitable. When you look at that, you have to ask why can't Macy's do that?

Sixth Floor has been largely closed off in spots. They could easily redo it so all of furniture comes down to Six. Their offerings are not nearly as extensive as they used to be. The furnishings are no longer grouped according to story.

I've seen this coming for awhile. Those top floors are not used at all. I've been dreaming of the amazing condos they could build in the top floors. I've never wanted live in the loop but if I could afford, I'd consider it. My great grandmother and my 2 grandmother's worked at Fields. I'd love to see those floors right now. Bet they have some cool architectural features!

[But now] I see they want it for office space. Boohoo. Condos would be so cool. Now I have yo find a way to see them before they gut the hell out of them and install florescent lights. Ick.

Michael: Thanks for posting. With the Boston store deal in Milwaukee yesterday, and then remembering at the August conference call, I expected something soon will be announced. Sad.

Granted, nine and hugher weren't accessible by us shoppers but the most curious and concerning thing is the new lobby. Where will that go? Will it be on State Street, or on Wabash? I keep thinking it will be Wabash -center. What does this mean for the main floor?

There was nothing like hanging out with the ladies on the 13th floor in the candy rooms. They taught us how to “string” chocolates and what all those swirls and doodles meant! Perk of being a retail foods & candy manager!!! I treasure those memories!!!!!

On my way to visit family, I stopped at Franklin Park Mall outside Toledo, OH. This is a very nice mall--well maintained with a nice variety of stores. My first stop was Dillard's, formerly The Lion Store. Dillard's was bright and welcoming, stocked full of large assortments of brand name merchandise, featured attractive visual displays, and offered unique items for sale (one display had old school record players and reproduction LPs--how cool is that!). I saw a number of items that I definitely planned to purchase.

Walked down the mall to the macy store. To put it kindly, the store looked just like Sears. Other than the cosmetics area, the store was dimly lighted and drab. Uninspired merchandise stacked on tables or hanging on racks. Faded, dated decor. Clothing looked cheap and boring--same as one would find at Sears. Home store merchandise and decor totally blah. This store was formerly Hudson's, then converted to Marshall Field's for a short time.

Headed back to Dillard's, I did some serious shopping and had interesting conversations with several sales associates. One person said macy was the best thing that could have happened to their store; shoppers who want something better or wish to purchase a gift complain there's nothing at macy they want. This associate said he shops at macy but the quality is so bad he's ahead to spend a few dollars more for something substantially better. Another associate pointed out that Dillard's has brand name merchandise, while macy has mostly their own private label stuff. The person said that many of the better designers are pulling out of macy altogether or offering only their lower level lines there. One associate said macy "is getting desperate" by cutting back on store upgrades and stocking cheaper quality goods. She said their department manager sent employees to macy to see if they could learn any ways to improve their store; she laughed and said macy was pathetic. She had worked at this mall for years and said macy hasn't changed anything since the store was Hudson's, except take away various departments and services.

Macy's CEO and CFO recently spoke at Macy's, Inc. at Goldman Sachs 24th Annual Global Retailing Conference. Towards the end they briefly responded to a question about the redevelopment of the Harold Square store. They (CFO Karen Hoguet) said that they were looking at both Harold Square as well as State Street.

Of the 15 stores described here, only two are located in the USA and both happen to be in NYC (Hint: NOT Macy's or Bloomingdale's). The stores continue to be successful because they offer shoppers high-quality merchandise, superb service, and - most importantly - uniqueness and a positive shopping experience.

Of course, "last Saturday was a pretty dead day on State Street." There's no reason to deal with city traffic and parking problems to visit a nondescript discount store. Especially when most shoppers don't bother to visit that same lackluster discount store in their own neighborhoods.

Despite your best efforts, the powers that be at macy STILL don't get it. Shoppers don't want what they are trying to sell. Keep up the good fight. Perhaps someday soon the board of directors may decide it's worth a try to finally give the shoppers what they want.

As you know from our press release from four days ago, Saturday was the 11th anniversary of that very sad day when Marshall Field and Company became Macy's.While last Saturday was a pretty dead day on State Street (see photo) we did encounter a number of people were very enthusiastic. More than ever, everyone still wants Marshall Field's back. With retail in trouble these days, Macy's needs to bring back the "IT brand". It's a no-brainer! Slamdunk profits for Macy's, increased tourist revenues, and simply a very cheerful upbeat return to our city. Thanks to GLE, Lucie, Gail, John, Alfred, Frank, Gayle, and many others for making today's 11th anniversary activities all possible. Sorry there was only a couple of days notice. I'm we would have had better turnout if there had been much more warning.
Keep in mind that many more than these offered support for Field's but could not for various reasons be in an Internet photo.

All photos (c) Copyright 2017 FieldsFansChicago & James McKay. All rights reserved. Permission for publication granted provided there is a photo credit.

WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?:The grass roots group, FieldsFansChicago will mark the 11th anniversary of the loss of Chicago’s Marshall Field’s with a “Selfies Rally” to support the return of the internationally renowned emporium in name as well as experience.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN: All who support the return of Marshall Field and Company are encouraged to stop by under the Great Marshall Field’s Clock at State and Washington and pose for a selfie holding a protest sign supporting Field’s return. These selfies will be posted to our world-wide social media channels.

Past “Selfies Rallies” supporting the return of Marshall Field’s featured hundreds underneath the Great Clock at State and Washington at holidays and also at civic events such as the Chicago St Patrick’s Day Parades and Chicago Pride Parade. Last year's "Selfies Rallies for Field’s" featured over 200 selfies featuring over 350 participants and received global response. To see the photos, please go to http://www.fieldsfanschicago.org

STATEMENT: "A world-renowned emporium and institution, Marshall Field's on State Street was 'Chicago's #3 destination'* until its end. Chicagoans and tourists alike still overwhelmingly want Marshall Field's to return to State Street even as there is talk of a partial redevelopment of the iconic store's upper floors. With all these pending changes, we believe the time to act is now. Sure, there are more serious things in the world and we supporters are engaged in helping those as well. However, these relatively little things matter, just like the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series. And if the Cubs can win the World Series,
it's entirely possible that Marshall Field's can come back after 152 winning years as part of Chicago."

I have a fall hat that came from Marshall Field's that I wore to work today because Chicago weather is already chilling. You should hear the compliments I got on it. It started a big discussion about Field's and how everybody in the office still misses it.

A friend and I were shopping the other day, and he wanted to go into macy to look for bargains. He is a millenial (age 30) who said that his friends all consider macy a "discount store" just like TJMaxx, Marshall's, Ross Dress for Less; if he or his friends want something "better," they head to Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor or Von Maur. We were shocked that macy is stocking men's WRANGLER jeans--those are sold at Walmart! Yep, a large display of Wrangler jeans right next to a Last Act section. Very classy!

There have been several news reports about upscale designers pulling out of department stores. Coach, Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Prada and others are choosing to open their own shops rather than affiliate with department stores. Evidently the decision to make macy comparable to Kohl's and various off price stores may have led these designers to pull out because they don't want to be associated with a "discount store." Sorry, but buying something at macy is not equivalent to a purchase from Marshall Field's, Burdines, Foleys, Lazarus, Kaufmanns, Filenes. Is it too late to undo the marketing disaster and to give shoppers what they want?

Here, belatedly, is a link to my Flickr photo album featuring images of the 2017 Flower Show at 111 N. State St. The theme of this year's show was "Carnival." With the sale and repurposing of the upper floors of this store and the revamping of the lower floors now imminent, we do not yet know where (or even if) Macy's will host future flower shows of this caliber.

Saturday, September 9, 2017 from at least 11:30 AM to 1 PM (and probably before and after) under the Marshall Field's Great Clock at State and Washington.

It will be exactly 11 years to that very sad Saturday in both Chicago and world retail history that Marshall Field and Company on State Street was officially turned into another Macy's location.

On Saturday, September 9, 2017, come by and show that Chicago and the world wants more than ever the return of Marshall Field and Company to State Street. Stop by for a selfie with one of our signs--or bring your own sign. Stay the whole time or just drop by to pose for a selfie. AND BE SURE TO BRING YOUR FRIENDS.

More details will be forthcoming.

(Please note: As always, all posted "regrets" before the event will be removed from our board and saved for after the event.)

I agree that things must be pretty serious because they're going outside to. Someone at such a high level as president of Macy's. At the same time don't discount this new guy. He's done some pretty amazing things for online at both Home Depot and eBay. Of course not sure he understands heritage brand so much--but then again clearly he must be aware of how well Marshall Fields merchandise does on eBay.

It's also interesting that although Terry Lundgren is still chairman of the board, he's not mentioned at all in regards to this as far as I can tell.

Don't overlook the significance here. In the decades of lineage of Federated Department Stores I don't ever recall that a new president was somebody selected from outside the organization. This is a seismic change for the Federated/Macy's culture. I don't know who initiated the change, but it's pretty radical for Jeff Gennette to relinquish the title of president, even though he stays CEO. It could be the board, it could be major stockholders, it could be Jeff himself who unselfishly decided something much more radical is needed. Of course, we're all about Marshall Field's. Could they be equally radical about the future of State Street? Good radical? Bad radical?

There should have been a shake-up years ago before one arrogant executive was allowed to destroy hundreds of popular department stores and terminate thousands of loyal employees. Clearly macy is only "rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic" while ignoring the obvious solution--give the shoppers what they want!

Another excellent analysis of the problems at macy written by Mark Cohen, who was CEO of the Lazarus stores based in Columbus, Ohio. Lazarus was a middle to better regional department store with a loyal following that was beloved by generations of shoppers. Sadly this iconic chain was converted to macy; the former Lazarus stores were among the biggest losers following the changeover.

I liked Mr Gennette's comment about analyzing the stores as if macy were building "from the ground up." If macy had entered a market and competed fairly instead of buying out other stores, perhaps their fortunes would be better. Online shopping has had a tremendous impact on brick and mortar, but shoppers are looking for an experience which macy certainly doesn't offer.

So sales to tourists are down 9% at macy. Did the retailing genius perhaps think that once something is commonplace and can be found anywhere, it is no longer an attraction. By converting department stores across the nation to one lackluster brand, there is NO reason for tourists to seek out a store that can be found wherever. It is no longer anything special or any special attraction. Walgreen's is a good pharmacy, but I hardly think any tourists to Chicago will make it a "must see" on their itinerary.

I would bet that sales at the Herald Square macy are down, simply because it's no longer unique--just one of many.

UPDATE to my post from a few days ago about Macy's, Inc. Q2 2017 Conference Call.

The short of the call as far as we Field's Fans are concerned is there is nothing new to made public today, but marketing for the upper floors of State Street are "well underway" and they expect to report progress during the Q3 conference call in mid-November 2017. In general, no geographic area of stores did better or worse than others, but sales to tourists was down about 9% which is significant. State Street and Water Tower, along with Herald Square/34th St, NYC, Union Square, San Francisco, and others are the prime tourist stores. (My opinion is that they could report on State Street before November if they have big news or if word gets out somehow.)

In response to Bob W, I used to like the Frango liquors, especially the raspberry. Blended with vanilla ice cream delicious! Also used to like the Frango teabags, again raspberry with my favorite. Can you guess my favorite Frango candy flavor? 😁

It will be interesting to see the Frango brand under Garrett's ownership. I hope they restore some of the Frango items that Macy's discontinued. The Ice cream topping was the best Chocolate-Mint ever and in the old days, the Frango mint Ice cream was a favorite.

My Mom used 222 laundry detergent. She swore it was the best on the market at the time. She worked for Field's in the early to mid '50s and said the dry cleaning dept. laundered the customer's wedding gowns in 222 to prep them to be preserved.

Marshall Field's sold household cleaning supplies under the "222" co-branding. Why was it called "222"? It crossed my mind that it may it was a play on "111", the street number of the State Street store, but why did they pick 222 instead of 111?

Just a reminder that Macy's, Inc. will be releasing their second quarter, 2017 results this Thursday, August 10, 2017. They will also hold an online conference call at 9 AM Chicago time. You can listen by following the links to investors information at http://www.macysinc.com.

PLEASE NOTE: for this morning, please refrain from making posts of a non-immediate nature until discussions of these immediate topics have been exhausted.

This is to promote our efforts to bring back Field's. Any such posts will be removed and re-posted later. It will be interesting to see if they discuss the sale of the upper floors at State Street--maybe there will be significant details explained or maybe it will just recapitulate in passing information we already heard a couple weeks ago.

And also, remember to help by posting your comments after Chicago Tribune articles--here isn't such a priority since you're speaking to the choir.

I mostly agree with stan, Bon ton is headed for chapter 7. They have huge debt and little assets. Out of almost 300 doors, they own about 30. However, I don't see anyone picking up carsons stores, all are b tier or worse. I could see them grabbing certain other stores such as the Boston store at west Towne in Madison or Younker's Des Moines locations at Jordan creek or valley west. All are in very healthy growing markets and desirable malls with middle to better tenants.

Mikea: No No No No No No No. Then again maybe you are joking. No way Amazon would be interested in buying Bon Ton even just for real estate. B-tier malls. Only in the Great Plains, Upper Midwest, and small-town Northeast markets.

Belk is rumored to be one of those who kicked Bon Ton's tires.

What will probably happen is that Bon Ton will go Chapter 7. Maybe Macy's will pick up one or two decent Chicagoland locations that happen to be Bon Ton's best performers. Maybe Macy's will buy Bon Ton's credit card business too in an attempt to get customers lost with Field's.

Just read in Crain's Chicago that Bon-Ton's days may be numbered. Without making a profit in almost 7 years, keeping capital expeditures way low, analysts are expecting either a bankruptcy, closings many stores or liquidation. Heard that employees are expecting the worst. Also rumored there are interests from two sources in the company maybe Amazon is one.

Jimmy, the Amazon Macy's rumor has been circulating in both retail and investment circles for months. The rumor is that amazon doesn't want Macy's, but it's real estate. The theory is that they would convert the stores into fulfilment centers with a showroom for select products. Makes sense, since brick and clicks retailers have an 80% plus conversion rate of an additional sale when someone orders on line and picks up in store. State street would not fit into this paradigm, so there may be hope!

Closing stores and cutting back employees is NOT going to turn this around. Sears has been using this "strategy" which has proven to be an epic fail. Shopping is an emotional experience and brick-and-mortar stores must provide an "experience" to encourage shoppers to purchase merchandise; buying utilitarian items from a nondescript big box store or online is mundane task. The arrogant CEO who decided that shoppers would simply love macy and flock to the stores should be held accountable in large measure for this disaster. Had the CEO listened and "given the shoppers what they want," the situation might not have become so bleak.

Converting all the popular local brands and standardizing the merchandise didn't work out so well for macy. The CEO thought destroying the competition would force shoppers into buying at macy. What made the regional stores special was gone, and the country certainly didn't need a TJMaxx, Kohl's, JCPeney or Target wanna be! There are many other alternatives, and customers moved on.

Notice the picture of the extremely popular department store pictured in the article. Did the editors select Marshall Field's as a classic example of everything macy did wrong?

Back in the 90's I frequently worked in the greater Chicago area. It was always my intent to venture over to a Marshall Fields store in the evenings. I recall the great merchandise, in which no one in Tennessee would duplicate, upon my return home. The service was special as they always wrapped my purchases in tissue, prior to bagging. Personal attention, that was genuine, is extremely hard to match in the greater Chicago area today.

Having a "go to place is greatly missed upon returning to Chicago. The thought of Marshall Fields returning is exciting, as I am hopeful this is possible!!

Thanks to all who offered support, took photos and posed for photos at yesterdays Chicago Pride Parade. Special thanks to everyone
past and present who had made this possible for the 11th year, especially Gail, Daniel, Alfred, Paul, Gayle, and many, many others.

Chicago wants Marshall Field's return more than ever.

The photos below or ones similar to them were also posted to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.

Keep in mind that those who posed for the photos approached us about taking a photo. Because of increased security this year,
we were only able to walk about 40% of the route, from Montrose/Broadway to Addison/Halsted with a couple of drop-in points beyond.
We also walked on the sidewalk BEHIND the crowd--so 90% of the attendees were looking at parade and away from us.
With those disadvantages, maybe 40 people approached us to be photographed for the photos you see below.

All photos (c) Copyright 2017 FieldsFansChicago & James McKay. All rights reserved. Permission for publication granted provided there is a photo credit.

Just a reminder that today, as in past years (and until Field's returns) we'll be out along the route of today's Chicago Pride Parade today passing out "TIME TO BRING BACK MARSHALL FIELD'S" pin on buttons as well as bookmark flyers.

If you are trying to get a button, email jjmckay AT me

DOT com. Maybe we can meet up in the crowd. You can even carry a sign or pose for a photo.

Look for photos later on from the parade route. Thanks to all--many, many, past and present--who have made our efforts at the parade possible, especially John, Alfred, Gayle, Paul, Daniel, and always Gail.

BTW: Someone asked if Macy's was in this year's parade. According to the list of entrants, Macy's is not but Bloomingdale's is participating towards the end, Only 150 entrants/floats are allowed this year. It used to be unlimited with about 250 entries typically participating.

Below are photos from last year.

Scenes from the 2016
Chicago Pride Parade

Signs calling for the restoration of Marshall Field's were walked up and down the 2.5 mile parade route. While there were thousands of cheers, the following are among those who called us back to have their pic taken with our sign and say, more than ever, Chicago wants its Marshall Field's!

Our Blog was on hiatus from June 8-June 24, 2017.

It is back and running since June 25, 2017

One can watch the entire 2-1/2 hour event by following the links from http://www.macysinc.com/investors (Adobe Flash player is required.)

IMHO, the most interesting part is with Doug Sesler, Macy's EVP of real estate, which starts at about 1 hour, 6 minutes into the presentation.

A few interesting tidbits (be sure to check out the video replay for the actual words and context rather than my interpretation):

First (and not in order of the presentation): We're all most interested in what will happen at State Street. Mr. Sesler says the "marketing for sale the upper portion of our Chicago State asset which we hope will be a very interesting transaction--more (information) to come on that." (That's at about 1:15 into the presentation).

* Macy's has 72% of their stores in A-class/A-rated malls. JCP has only 44% of their stores in A-class malls.

* Sesler explains the many options and ways they are approaching utilizing Macy's real estate--from major redevelopment or simply leasing a small portion of a Macy's parking lot for use as an outlots for a small business or even carving out a small corner of a store for a Starbucks. (It made me think of Woodfield and Wabash/Randolph at State Street).

* New term I've not heard before: VCO = Value Creation Opportunity

* 50 stores (not including flagships) identified as VCOs -- that might have a some or a lot of redevelopment. Brookfield has exclusive rights to develop VCOs for 18-24 months.

* Some redevelopment options include a building retail flanking, "bolted on," or adjacent to entrances. This is referred to as a "Wrap and Hug" or Outparcel development. (Explained at about 1:13 into the meeting.)

* Other redevelopment involves utilizing excess land like excess parking space. Parking space requirements are less today than they were 30-40 years ago when a number of Macy's locations were built. The excess parking space can be sold or subleased for redevelopment. (My example--not Macy's :take a big parking lot for a Macy's and use the section by the highway, farthest away from the store for an Olive Garden. If you live in Chicago, you may know that this is what Kmart did at the opposite end of their lot at the Addison & Kennedy store.)

* Macy's got $250 million for the Union Square Men's store (at one point it was Liberty House) or about $1,000 a square foot. The main Union Sqaure store is about 933,800 sq ft. Mr. Sesler explains that they want to create about 10,000 sq feet of small shops facing Union Square. (My comparison is that the total square footage is about the size of an average Walgreens.) He gives an extended discussion of how Macy's construction resolved some unique site issues. That would be very interesting to some of you, I think.

* Plans to make more space at Herald Square. One interesting concept (please note, a concept--NOT a plan or by any means a done deal or "go plan") is adding a roof top terrance to the top of the store to draw people to the upper floors and then have potential customers trickle down from the upper floors.

* Herald Square is the 4th most visited tourist attraction in NYC and also part of the hot Hudson Yard development area.

Again, the section on the real estates contains lots of images and plans which I think you will find interesting. I'd post the images but, besides being copyrighted, they are better understood if you listen to Mr. Sesler's If you can only watch the real estate part, it's about 15 minutes of 2-1/2 hours starting at around 1:06:00

I think JCPenney might have a better chance to turn things around; the newly installed appliance department may draw former Sears shoppers and most JCP stores offer services not available at macy (hair salons, for example). Perhaps this particular JCP store is a bad example because many of their locations are attractive and well merchandised. On the other hand, most of the macy stores I've visited still look just like they did when run by their predecessors--only more worn down, messy and stocked with uninspired merchandise.

Again, there is no compelling reason to shop at macy. Younger shoppers who may not have experienced the well maintained, operated and merchandised iconic regional department stores just view macy as a larger but run down version of TJMaxx or Marshalls. Surely the new CEO has seen how poorly organized and uninviting the macy stores are; surely he could hire more staff to maintain the store.

So being "inspired" by the history of the Red Star is the basis for innovation and reinvigorating the rapidly declining department stores? The problem started when the previous CEO decided to remove all vestiges of the iconic regional department stores and slap Red Stars everywhere. Didn't work 10 years ago, so what makes him think it will work this time?

UGG is currently sold at better stores like Von Maur, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor--stocking their merchandise at macy discount stores would do nothing to enhance the brand's value; in fact, some of the nicer retailers would probably drop UGG since it was being sold at macy.

UGG would have hit a home run by associating with Marshall Field and other iconic regional department stores, but would definitely strike out by affiliating with macy.

Thank you for your post, Jim, and thanks to you (and others) who have made the trip EVERY YEAR to Macy's shareholder meeting to petition for a return of our Marshall Field's! There are many rooting for you and Field's.

Thanks for your kind words. I'm not so sure I did a great job but at any rate please someone brought it up this year again.

Matt:

Let me start by explaining my approach. First, since the discussion was a lot about how Macy's had a poor year, I did open by pointing out that pretty much every retailer--except Amazon--had a poor year. With that in mind, I said that Macy's is going to survive JCPenney and Sears among others more questionable. Macy's will do relatively well in the long run. Yes, they do need to close stores --everybody does with retail as it is today. And then I pointed out that State Street been trying to market the upper floors for decades. And it might be needed to do that. But the only way that would be successful is if they brought back Marshall Fields. Otherwise it will look like they're just shrinking the store more and more and more. That what was once Marshall Fields is getting more more removed and diminished. I then explained how we had hundreds of photos with hundreds of people posing from last holiday season with sign supporting Marshall Field's as well as Selfridge's. I closed with something like, "I know you people keep saying no. However, as we been saying under the clock this past year, if the Cubs can Win the World Series, then it's a no-brainer for Marshall Fields to come back because it always was a winner. It would be a complete piece of cake for Macy's. "

So how was it received?

Jeff Gennete said that there's no way they would bring back the Marshall Fields name but they are going to try do something with the upper floors and I think it will happen soon. Moreover Jeff, et al is looking forward to celebrating the 50th anniversary of the mechanical motorized windows Christmas this holiday season. That will be the theme. The 50th anniversary of animated windows.

So to me, that is the bottom line is terms of a reaction. Now some secondary reactions are as follows:

The audience applauded after I spoke, but I think it was more because I said that I think Macy's would survive where JCPenney and Sears would not. That's just my opinion maybe I'm too cynical. The other thing was that Jeff came up to me afterwards in the audience--it surprised me. And spoke with me, thanking me for the speech with a handshake. I could go on but I'll leave it at that for now...

I'm having a little bit of my problems and I'm using a phone to post this, so please forgive the typos and grammatical errors let alone any accidental mistake and words. Thank you.

-----

Jeff, in his speech also brought up a brief history of Mr. Macy. So I brought up the part about Marshall Field as a counterpoint. (Only get less than three minutes. It goes so fast)

Field'sFans were down at Macy's corporate headquarters for the annual stockholders meeting in Cincinnati today again making a plea for the return of the world's greatest retailer. After the meeting, I was joined by Frank Farmer Loomis of Cincinnati, and Bernice (88 don't tell her I told you) of Chicago for some photos I will post later this weekend.

So as I mentioned, today was the annual stockholders meeting for Macy's Incorporated. Admittedly, I have a bad bout of bronchitis and fever so I'm not sure I did such a great job at speaking as pitbull I should've been, but I did the best I could to represent our views that Marshall Fields should and must come back to maximize Macy's, Inc. stockholder value. I'll report more when I am in better shape. Thank you for your support. And thanks to John, Frank, Gayle,Gail, Daniel, Paul, Darrid, Gloria, Alfred, and so many others who have made this activity possible in one way or another during the past decade.

There's a book called State street one brick at a time. And the quotes from Lucy and Desi, Kathy Bates,Julia Child..etc are printed in that book with the date of their visit. I remember those quotes they were painted in green in the archive section on the seventh floor on the wall between the men's restroom and women's restroom. I guess macy's didn't want people to see that.

Clearly there is no compelling reason to shop at macy stores. Anything unique or special offered by the popular regional department stores was crushed by the red star. The blame for this debacle falls directly on the "genius" who stubbornly and arrogantly ignored the needs and wants of shoppers--to the peril of the macy organization. Since there is so much concern about "unlocking shareholder value," bring back what was so foolishly thrown away--before it's too late.

Macy's owns the Marshall Field's brand. They could bring it back exclusively to State Street. However, they are too arrogant to admit they made a mistake by getting rid of it in the first place. Shoppers did not embrace the Macy name as a national brand.

ï¿½Donï¿½t count us out, weï¿½re not dead,ï¿½ Karen Hoguet, Macyï¿½s chief financial officer, said in an interview. The company is rolling out several initiatives that it expects to lift sales, including reconfigured shoe and fine-jewelry departments."

Based on the conference call, it hear the CFO and CEO of Macy's, Karen Hoguet and Jeff Genntee, are very focused on listening to their customers and the shoes revamp is also a big part of what they see as heading in the right direction.

IMHO: If they listened to their customers they's know they have many who want their exclusive brand, Marshall Field's.

Just finished listening to Macy's earnings call. Other than a brief sentence in the CFOs opening comments, no mention of State Street. Same story, selling upper floors reinvesting some of the cash to make remaining store more exciting.

All major department stores are down today, but Macy's and Dillards are down the most. Down 17%. That's about $5 per share to around $24.30 today.

(BTW: It should be noted that Bon-Ton's CEO, Kathryn Buffano, is retiring in August. Not a good sign for them. Buffano is very positive on keeping local name plates and even loathes the loss of Marshall Field's

I just read through Jim's summary of the macy CFO report. It seems as though the news would be much worse if macy hadn't made money by selling off properties, and their long term plans include selling or leasing off more properties. This financial game is familiar what happened at Sears--sell off the properties to keep the doors open but do NOTHING to address the core problems.

Also interesting is that business is off at the "flagship" locations, and it's not just the international tourists who aren't shopping. My buddy and I were recently in Philadelphia; we visited the former John Wanamaker store which is now unfortunately a macy. We enjoyed the beautiful John Burnham designed Grand Court and Wanamaker organ, BUT we didn't purchase anything because it's the same merchandise we could get back home. My buddy wanted to buy a gift for his wife but said macy is nothing special since they're everywhere; he stated a gift from macy would be about as unique as buying something at CVS.

The following is not a transcript but my understanding/ interpretation by listening via the link at http://www.macysinc.com Karen Hoguet (CFO) and Jeff Gennette (CEO) are both present. Lungren wasn't always present. Please check the transcripts and official re-broadcast for accurate info, not my post.

Real Estate:

--Just a mention that the upper floors of State Street are being actively marketed.

--They just announced that the Seattle flagship will be reduced further from the downsizing of 2015 (floors 5-8 sold then; now Macy's will operate on the lower three floors which I think means floors 3 & 4 will also be sold or redeveloped.

--They received $37M $47M as part of the redevelopment of the Dayton's flagship.

--They received $9M as part of the redevelopment and reimagining of Downtown Brooklyn, the former Abraham and Straus Flagship.

--Still working with Brookfield to market/sublease space in 50 other locations.

Transactions declined by over 7%. Southwest area performed best; the northeast performed the least. (IMHO, they did have winter with lots of snow there, unlike in Chicago.) Bloomingdales's had similar numbers to Macy's, Bluemercury did well. Proceeds from selling Union Square Men's store will be equate to about 47ï¿½ a share if I heard correctly.

International tourism declined at the same level as domestic sales. (For us that means stores like State Street, NYC/34th St/ Herarld Square, and San Francisco/Union Square did no better nor any worse than typical stores.)

Gross margins were 38%, worse than last year. Weak sales in Feb. (more in comments below...add you own too, please.)

End of my comments on the CFO's report

Jeff Gennette says that they will have another June 6 investor meeting. Deets aren't clear as to who can attend.

Clearly running State Street is not part of their long-term business model.
They need to sell it so they can focus on being a TJ Maxx competitor. The maximum value of the store be obtained by selling to another
retailer who knows how to run it as a first rate department store.

"Shortly after starting in his new role, Gennette said he wants to make Macy's more of a competitor with off-price chains, by bringing a model similar to that of Ross Stores or TJ Maxx into traditional malls."

Just a reminder that Macy's, Inc. will be releasing their first quarter, 2017 results today. They will also hold an online conference call at 9 AM Chicago time. You can listen by following the links to investors information at http://www.macysinc.com. PLEASE NOTE: for this morning, please refrain from posting historic photos and other posts of a non-immediate nature until discussions of these immediate topics have been exhausted. This is to promote our efforts to bring back Field's. Any such posts will be removed and re-posted later. No doubt they will discuss the sale of the upper floors at State Street--maybe there will be significant details explained or maybe it will just recapitulate in passing information we already heard a couple weeks ago. And also, remember to help my posting your comments after Chicago Tribune article's--here isn't such a priority since you're speaking to the choir.

"If Macy's again made only their State Street store a one-of-a-kind destination under the Marshall Field's brand and ethos, it would give people even more reason to shop there as opposed to their local Macy's, Penney's, etc back home. Moreover, with many facets of food courts and the bargain basement/off price store pioneered over 100 years ago at State Street as Field's, they would have another reason to be a national and international destination. Macy's needs to prune the ordinary stores and make the most of their unique advantages. Running just the State Street store as Marshall Field's as a sort of retail theme experience is an asset that Macy's is neglecting by continuing to run the store as Macy's. State Street does well, apparently, but it could do so much more."

As a student of Napoleon Hill's Law of Success Philosophy, I commend the efforts of those in Chicago, who are working to restore the damage done by the uncalled for removal of the Marshall Field's from his stores under the Macy group ownership. To quote from Napoleon Hill's LAW OF SUCCESS of 1928:

regarding the Great Chicago Fire of the 19th Century:

After the Chicago fire, scores of merchants whose stores went

up in smoke stood near the smoldering embers of their former places

of business, grieving over their loss. Many of them decided to go

away into other cities and start over again. In the group was Marshall

Field, who saw, in his own imagination, the world's greatest retail

store, standing on the same spot where his former store had stood,

which was then but a ruined mass of smoking timbers. That store

became a reality.

Marshall Field says: You see that fire: I will build my store on the very ashes of the first NO MATTER HOW MANY Times it may burn down. Macy's put their own name on it and sales went plummeting. Marshall Field's lifetime ideas of service can not be matched anywhere else. Please keep his name alive in the 21st Century and beyond.

Hello Everyone. I had a favor if anyone could help. Marshall Field's in 2004 or perhaps 2005 had published a bridal guide. It had I believe on the cover a woman in a gown outdoors facing one of the windows of the store in the evening with dramatic lighting. It was a really beautiful catalog with great photography and layout featuring "how to"s" on dining, kitchen and entertaining ideas. I had a copy in PDF form yet someone I lost it. I was wondering if anyone had a copy in PDF that they could send me. I tried to find it on the web but it doesn't seem to exist. I'd really appreciate it.

Another Macy's flop. Tailored brands (men's warehouse) is closing all of its tuxedo rental shops in Macy's stores less than two years after starting the partnership. They hemorrhaged money.

Guess the average low end Macy's shopper doesn't bother with a wedding tux, and I'm sure that shopper doesn't own a tux. But Macy's continues its March into low end oblivion.

The retail landscape has changed radically over the last few years, many things are beyond Macy's control. I have to believe fields state street would have weathered the changes, as it was a beloved destination.

Another story. This time it's from Cincinnati's business journal of record.
It covers Macy's quite closely since it is one of Cincinnati's largest employers. A special notice in the Cincinnati
article is a reference to activists (i.e. people like us) would like to bring back Marshall Field's.
Of course, I, for one, will speak at the conclusion of the Macy's annual meeting of stockholders on
Friday, May 19 in Cincinnati to express our view that operating State Street as Marshall Field's is the highest and best use.

There's a big sale happening at Macy's flagship right now, but it's not the kind that will save you any extra money on a new outfit. After closing 68 stores across the nation earlier this year, the retail chain is looking for new sources of revenue, so it's putting the top seven floors of the historic Marshall Field and Company Building on the market. According to the Chicago Tribune, 700,000 square feet of prime Loop real estate is being shopped to "potential buyers or joint venture partners," which could result in as much as $130 million for Macy's.

In the face of falling sales and the continued rise of online shopping, Macy's representatives have frequently mentioned the possibility of redeveloping its flagship stores over the past few years. Macy's spokeswoman Andrea Schwartz told the Tribune that the company is "still working on a plan for a downsized Macy's State Street store," while noting that the retailer intends to "keep the tradition of the Walnut Room."

In Philadelphia the Grand Courtyard and area's where the Wanamaker pipe organ Chambers are located are still part of Macy's. The interior of State St, light wells and Tiffany dome, column capitals etc are protected.

I would not to be quick lumping state street with stores like Pittsburgh and Minneapolis. State street is one of 3 top doors. When the top 150 was released last year, the Minneapolis store was not even on the list. Plus, as I posted previously, Macy's dumped Minneapolis because it was loaded with asbestos. That would account for its cheap sale price of $59.00 per square foot. State street may have deferred maintenance, but it is a relatively modern store in a historic building, unlike these other properties.

After all the stores Macy's has been closing across the US, I guess it was only a matter of time that they tried to do something with the upper floors at State Street. I hope this allows the rest of the store to remain open for many generations to come. I hope there's a protest rally if they start going below floor 9.

It is hard to imagine what is happening now in2017 compared t the 80's when all of the great stores, Gimbels, Macy's hudson' Dayton's, Kaufman's, Famous Barr, bullock.s Broadway, Hecht's Ivey;s Gayfers, etc werea round. The discount chains and especially the cancer of all retail AMAZon killed the shopping experience.

Don't breathe a sigh of relief quite yet, Chicago! The management at macy is just blowing smoke--this is the same thing they said in Pittsburgh and Minneapolis. Oh, we're just gonna downsize to make the store "productive" and we definitely want to maintain a presence here. Once the initial announcement has been made, various options will be proposed then a buyer will appear who wants to purchase the entire building and macy will bail out.

I previously posted a link to a Business Insider article on how macy is transitioning to a discount operation. Their flagship store is a disgraceful mess and macy is going even further downmarket to compete with TJMaxx and Marshall's.

They are NOT interested in maintaining a vintage building and paying high city taxes. Has the Field's building has become rundown and worn? They will say it's cost prohibitive to bring it up to current standards. macy is following the same path as Sears--invest nothing in the stores, stock lower quality merchandise, sell off the assets to keep the stores afloat, cut staff and services, announce various turn around strategies. Everything EXCEPT giving shoppers what they want.

I heard the announcement on WBBM Radio last night. While Landmark status protects many traditional aspects that Field's fans hold dear, I certainly hope someone worthy gets those upper floors. This is a nailbiter like when the CUBS played World Series last fall, but THEY came back. Let's hope Field's can come back!

The just-announced downsizing of State Street doesn't seem so extreme in comparison with how Macy's has decimated flagship-caliber stores in other cities. The furniture, rugs, etc. can certainly be moved elsewhere. But we should be concerned about two historic features of the 8th floor that might now be in limbo. First, the viewing gallery overlooking the Walnut Room atrium, together with elevator/escalator access, may be compromised. Viewing the Great Tree from above is a part of the Walnut Room tradition, and eliminating this feature would be painful.

Second is the spectacular grand staircase with gilded ceiling between the 8th and 9th floors on the Washington Street side. Dating to 1907, this element was beautifully restored in the 1990s. I'm unsure of its original purpose, but what a splendid setting for fashion photography back in its day.

Whew, I feel like we dodged a bullet. It could have been way worse. Since state street is one of their top 3 doors, it made no sense to me to compromise it.Macy's abandoned the interior and fine furniture business, so 8 doesn't have a purpose, 6 is highly compromised since Macy's doesn't sell fine China or crystal, so that floor could be folded into the housewares in the first basement.

Smartest thing was to not cut off food service on seven from the store. And after closing food service in former Field's stores, the new ceo is talking about bringing dining experiences into the stores. Moron.

It could be much worse. Also, keep in mind they have been shopping floors nine and higher for different uses for at least 20 years. And, as the Trib pointed out, they will have to take one of the rooms on the main floor and upwards above it to get people to the upper floors. Based on the way elevators are currently laid out, I suspect that would probably be middle Wabash. (South Wabash, the section that Harry Selfridge was involved with for 1893, does not go all the way to the top floors, although it could.) There's some other factors which, if they don't move the Walnut room or take over some significant parts of floor 8, won't make this such a bad thing. At the same time we still want to get Marshall Fields back. As usual, I plan to go to the stockholders meeting in three weeks. Can youy come with me? If you are a Chicago Tribune subscriber, please write a letter to the editor.

Well, folks--the retail genius has accomplished his dream of dismantling America's iconic department stores (like Field's, Lazarus, Burdine's, Kaufmanns and other market leaders) and creating a chain of discount outlets to compete with TJMaxx and Marshall's. For those who study retail history, trying to beat an established retailer at their own game can have disastrous results; remember what happened when Kmart tried to beat Walmart on lowest price. That ill conceived decision was a big part of Kmart's epic fail. Surely the board at macy can't believe that going discount will save the day.

Clearly macy has no sense of direction or purpose. Let's take over and make the stores all the same--because EVERYONE just loves New York and is thrilled by "the magic of macy." Now let's localize the assortment. There are too many coupons. How about a weekly One Day Sale with the lowest prices of the season. How about we bring better merchandise to our "top doors." Now the new guy wants to add eateries to the stores--after the great one closed most of them. Let's sell off assets to make the shareholders happy (that really worked out great at Sears). Let's cut the staff to save money. How about putting deep mark down clearance merchandise right next to the newest arrivals. Let's bring in stuff we don't normally carry and offer it in a special area. How about closing loads of stores to make ourselves even MORE irrelevant to shoppers.

It's hard to imagine how the board allowed him to spin aimlessly while the stores continued to lose market share. The past few years at macy have truly been a "comedy of errors."

Business Insider visited the "flagship" macy store in New York. If this is their best, macy is definitely on its way out!

The photos appear in random order. The most practical way to view these is to scroll through all 23 pages, one at a time. Photos of other Field's stores and warehouses are included in the mix. Most of the photos date to the 1940s.

These images are - in one word - incredible. They depict the State Street flagship as it then appeared - gorgeous and immaculate. All merchandise displays were neat as a pin; aisles were not crammed with tables and racks, and garments were not piled helter-skelter as in Macyï¿½s stores of today.

Regrettably, this set of photos appears incomplete; views of several areas within the flagship store are absent. But you will find photos of office and work areas seldom seen by the general public (and did you know that Field's once had a gun department?).

Sadly, much of the building's original interior apparent in these photos was obliterated through subsequent remodelings. And now, we are apprehensive about just how Macyï¿½s intends to "repurpose" portions of the building to accommodate new tenants. Landmark protection? Don't bet on it.

Does Macyï¿½s need to downsize this venerable flagship store and emulate TJ Maxx's business model in order to survive? Heck, no! State Street is already saturated with discount stores renowned for banal merchandise, central checkouts, and zero customer service. What State Street DOES need is a unique, upscale, world-class store, one that functions as a magnet to draw in tourists and local shoppers who might otherwise have no reason to shop downtown. In other words, we need our Marshall Fieldï¿½s back.

We observe that luxury retailers including Selfridge's, Bergdorf-Goodman and (closer to home) Von Maur and Nordstrom are currently outperforming Macyï¿½s and other major discount chains. The merchandise quality and luxurious ambience of the aforementioned stores are truly closer to Marshall Field & Co. as depicted in the 1940s photos than to any Macy's stores of today.

Fox32 accidentally let folks slip a peek at their new news set coming later this month. The Great Marshall Field's Clock is shown in the background. Channel 9 news also features the Great Clock in its rotation of background images. It's unclear if the clock image will be a stationary image or part of a number of images on rotation. And oh yes, the clock is historic because of Marshall Field's--not Macy's.

I worked downtown during the "Great Chicago Flood." I remember busy State Street suddenly transformed into a ghost town, with just a few curious people wandering about. The stillness reminded me of photos from after the Chicago Fire. Field's windows appeared suspended in time, with perky pastel-covered mannequins and "Fling into Spring" signs--oblivious to what was going on outside the windows. Field's soon added mops to the hands of the mannequins. A machine with large hoses pumped water from the north driveway of the building for several days. Filene's around the corner had a similar contraption. The buildings made me think of people in an emergency room all hooked up to tubes. I remember orange metal boxes labeled "aggreco" laying all over outside the store. Eventually life returned to normal and Field's again opened for business. Everyone was relieved.

I read a recent article that the State Street store was only closed for a week because of the Great Flood of 1992, but I think it was longer like 2 or 3 weeks, it sure seemed like forever!

A year later, Field's gave out T-shirts commemorating the flood. I didn't work there, but they must have had signs up in the store that they were going to give a limited number of these away and I was there when they opened and got one.

I cannot believe 25 years have past. I worked in luggage in the basement when the flood hit. The smell for months afterward was awful.

When the store reopened I got sick from the smell and went outside to the State and Randolph corner for fresh air. Linda Yu from Channel 7 was out there and approached me to ask questions. When I told her what was wrong she left me alone.

On the first anniversary of the flood the store had a little party for the employee's in the 3rd basement. The display people painted the doors to look like your were looking out a window of a ship under water. For refreshments we had blue punch and fish cookies. The employee's were also give a commemorative t-shirt. I still have mine somewhere.

It was nice to see Marshall Field and Company --not Macy's--on the front page of the Sunday Sun-Times yesterday, even though it was because of the great flood of 25 years ago. If you scroll down a bit in Neil Steinberg's story, you can see a larger version of the photo.

By the way: sometime back, I posted a really cool image of a full-page ad Field's had in the Chicago Tribune. The ad thanked Field's customers for their loyalty during the problems associated with the flood and shows the Marshall Field's logo all kind of warped in water with some fish swimming around it.

Was just looking at the WWD interview of Terry Lundgren on 3/22/2017 again.

Quote: "The performance was lifted to the point where from 2010 to 2012, Chicago was Macyï¿½s top performing city."

Thinking in the same vein as Sara A and the credit card example. Given that Chicago has two tourist stores and to the best of my knowledge no other city has that, would that mean, that Chicago was a top performer with sales from State Street plus Water Tower combined? Sure, that's possible. But how did that compare with the two stores as Field's? Or, moreover, did he mean Macy's, Inc. which would include Bloomingdale's at 900 Michigan and Medinah too?

======

Aaron: Regarding promises to Daley, the Frangos weren't a certain deal. The promise was that no jobs would immediately be lost in the city--and that promise was kept. I would have to check but I also believe promises included upgrading the building--replacing the windows and some other improvements.

The Frangos promise was based on an issue as to whether confectioner workers qualified to make Frangos could be found. Ebert made a big deal out of Lungren saying that Frango production **might** be returned to Chicago. Ebert compared it to a mouse being made to go through a huge maze only to get a small or partial peanut.

I'm sure that you know, production was returned on a limited basis a couple of years later via Cupid Candies on the Southwest side. According to some posts by other fans here, an ABC7 interview with a Macy's exec, something to the effect was mentioned that Cupid even managed to eventually get the taste right. On air, supposedly the staff asked after the story something to the effect, "You mean they don't know the recipe?"

Simply my opinion, but through the years, it appeared to me in photos and the media that Mayor Daley looked less and less happy around Lundgren.

As far as I know, Rahm and Lundgren have only been at one public event together; a spring 2011 Chicagoland Chamber Commerce meeting. Rahm was on the bill as the new mayor. Lundgren was put on the bill as well. I wonder if Lundgren was added because PNC bank was involved in the event and at the time PNC was effectively one of Macy's biggest stockholders through a significant stake in Blackrock. The Sun-Times made a deal about Rahm and Lundgen being together. I've never heard another report placing them in the same room together since.

I don't have access to WWD.com however I'm always skeptical of what Terry Lundgren says.

One, I've read many interviews with Terry Lundgren. He often selectively manipulates the facts, in my humble opinion. For example, when he decided to switch to the Macy's name, he said one reason was that the first 200 Marshall Field's credit card accounts he pulled up had not been used in ages. OK--but how did that compare with the first 200 Macy's credit card accounts? He didn't answer. 200 accounts out of how many? If out of 400 then that would be pretty bad. Out of 1 million? That's nothing.

Two, Macy's has been extraordinarily promotional, much more so than Marshall Field's. If they spent half, or even a third, of what they spent pushing Macy's on Chicago on Marshall Fields instead, I'm sure it would be doing much better in Chicago then it's doing as Macy's.

There's more to this, but I have not seen the article. I just think Lundgren engages in a lot of spin. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if someday it came out that things could've been a lot better if Lundgren had left Marshall Field's alone, or better yet nurtured it, in Chicago.

It's amazing how much people still lament the loss of Marshall Field's in Chicago and how much they loathe Macy's.

As Roger Ebert pointed out, Lundgren never revealed specifics about methodology. Ebert said something like, "and if the survey really did show that he'd fire the survey company because Chicagoans really don't think that." Now when I presented our own survey results in 2009, 2010 & 2011, I did present our methodology and they showed between 78% and 80% wanted Field's. 2,300 uniquely surveyed on Michigan Avenue and State Street between 2009 and 2012 n the spring., etc. Lundgren and staff did not dispute.

Would love to see the survey referred to in the article, showing that Chicago supported a name change to Macy's. As everyone in this group likely knows , based on the polls this wonderful group has done, it's so far from the truth it would be laughable, if it weren't so sad.

Michael: Then again, they did something similar at Portland, OR. Eventually it closed because, according to some, the store didn't even look special after the rehab.

Moreover, when it was Field's, we never had to look for a silver lining--it was all silver--and gold, platinum and diamond, too, even almost to the end. Ever since Federated/Macy's took over, the media and of course Macy's keeps telling us to look for silver linings as the linings get thinner and thinner. Department stores can't do well? Then how come you see stores like Von Maur expanding? Because they use Marshall FIeld's ethos.

Yuck, yuck, yuck. Architecturally speaking, I loathe 'modernizing' older, traditional styled buildings with tons of steel and glass. It's become as cliched (and boring) as those ubiquitous drum-shaped ceiling light fixtures that are seen installed everywhere for the past ten years. Yuck.

I did find some irony in Macy's talking about tradition. And noticed a State Street tradition not a Marshall Field tradition. I believe the Frango Cafï¿½ was added as part of the 1990s renovation when 7on State was also added but I don't recall for certain.

I was a bit surprised in a good way to see that Chicago area Target stores are now carrying Gayle Soucek's book along with books on Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs, River View, State Street and Chicago Blues. How come Macy's doesn't realize they have something special--that even their competitors carry books on what they own. A fun coincidence: the particular Chicago Target where I saw the Marshall Field's book is on Broadway and Sunnyside, located about 500-1000 feet away from Mr. Marshall Field's grave in Graceland Cemetery.

I respectfully disagree. The new CEO is basically talking about Terry Lundgren's "localization" initiative which we've been hearing about since 2008 or 2009. And that was something other chains had been doing for years. While they localize a few areas of merchandise, I hear nothing about having distinctively localized chains of department stores brought back. And I certainly don't hear anything about bringing back Marshall Field's even though it was more valuable than all the other dust-binned department store names combined.

I'm not encouraged. Perhaps next Christmas will be bad enough that they will finally get the message, hopefully before it's too late.

This observation by Mr Gennette was certainly NOT understood by his predecessor:

"I've noticed there's a big difference in customers and how they engage with apparel, accessories and the home department, depending of what part of the country they're from."

Perhaps if more reasonable minds had prevailed 10 years ago, the macy board and executives would have realized that one size does NOT fit all and their emphasis should have been on developing the strength of the regional department stores rather than slapping red stars everywhere while expecting shoppers to be excited by some elusive "magic."

It's a bit early in his tenure, but one wonders if Mr Gennette would be willing to bring back some of the iconic department stores and give shoppers what THEY want.

Back in the 70s when I worked for Macy's in Kansas City, all their stores had a department called the Budget Shop with off-price clothing with labels cut out. Sounds like they may be rethinking getting rid of those departments.

The Field's clock motif (on flags or bags or boxes and so forth....) is (well, *was*) relatively recent. Historically, Field's utilized the Field Crest much more commonly, right up until the 70's. At about the same time that the name was changed from "Marshall Field & Company" to just "Marshall Field's" they also stopped using the old family crest and began using the clock face in it's stead. It's certainly no deal breaker for me - I love them both - but I actually prefer the old crest over the clock as a signature design motif for our favorite store.

It appears it's not only Minneapolis that lost the annual Macy's flower show, but Philadelphia too. It's understandable having closed downtown location, although it could've relocated it at least in part to one of the suburban stores, I find no explanation why they canceled Philadelphia, but it's missing from the website. It's great events like this generate traffic that flagships need.

Regarding the Cincinnati Business Courier's story from March 17, 2017: I hope the whole building is being sold to another retailer to restore Marshall Field's. Our activist activities did get a mention and that is good.

If this store goes away entirely, I will never visit Chicago again. I miss MF a lot, but I still go in to visit the Walnut Room, admire the Tiffany ceiling, and appreciate the art deco elevator detail and wish that Macy's care enough to polish the brass and repair the floors.

Online shopping has indeed taken away business from traditional department stores, but much of the damage here has been self-inflicted. Too many nondescript stores stocked with bland, boring merchandise.

TOMORROW, MONDAY, MARCH 20, 2017, IS A DEADLINE: Want to comment to Macy's Executive Chairman Terry Lundgren, CFO Karen Hoguet, CEO Jeff Gennette, the Board of Directors, and other stockholders on Marshall Field and Company and what will happen to the State Street store at Macy's stockholder meeting? Monday morning, March 20, 2017 is a deadline if you wish to participate in a critical Macy's stockholder meeting in Cincinnati at 11 AM on Friday, May 19, 2017. All Macy's stockholders as of this Thursday, March 23, 2017, are eligible to be admitted and to offer questions and comments up to 2-3 minutes upon the adjournment of Macy's annual stockholders meeting, usually in Cincinnati. Since it takes 72 hours for all stock purchases to be official, you need to make your purchase of at least one share of Macy's, Inc. stock first thing this Monday morning. At current prices, that would be under $31, plus a small fee paid to your broker. (My broker charges about $7.) it is true that you can represent somebody else who owns stock at this meeting, provided you present a notarized proxy statement from the stockholder. However, Macy's officials have given a hard time to some people who have traveled and presented such a proxy statement. In the end, they have despicably delayed entry past the start of the meeting so as to prevent entry to the meeting. So it's important that you just buy stock by Monday morning.

Since Macy's doesn't want to serve customers anymore (never did in my opinion) I can just try on shoes at Payless. OR go to the shoe shore in Andersonville where a former Field's employee works, and you still get good service.

And if Starboard pulled out of Macy's, let's hope whoever they sold their interests to is worth it!

Last Saturday was the day of Saint Patrick's day parade here in Chicago (six days early because it's always the Saturday before the actual St. Patrick's Day).

That said, we were out on State Street from about 11:30 am to 1:30 pm (the parade was three blocks east starting at noon until about 2:30 PM). Support for Marshall Field's and Company's return continued greater than ever.

Special thanks to John, Lucie, Aaron, Gail, Gayle, Gloria, and Alfred, among many others, who offered support in one way or another.

Yeah, because you know everyone's willing to go out of their way to get the same kind of service they get at Target, Walmart, or Payless shoes---SARCASM!Good God, as a Macy's stockholder, I think my investment is screwed. These people supposedly leaving Macy's have no idea what they're doing. The CFO, who was voted one of the best by the Wall Street Journal, is full of it. She needs to go. Too bad she'll making money

this is why stores are closing. When they do not have something they tell you to order it online. Some stores will ship to store but want you to pay for it up front and tie up your money until you try it on. I want to take my shoes home with me.

My wife tried yesterday. She's a size 11. A) No one bothered to help her at all, she had to find someone. B) Macy's never carries a woman's size 11 in the stores even though the shoe comes in a size 11. Their response was she could order the shoe on line. Went over to Nordstrom, sales person came over when she was ready. One of the shoe's she wanted was not in stock in her size (the carry 11 just was sold out) and offered to order them for her if she wanted. The other shoe she wanted was in the store in her size. We bought it and left happy. That's how you run a successful retail store, Macy's should take note.

It's not good for the retail sector, that's for sure. I see NM and Saks as direct competitors, although at the Fashion Outlets today, when I couldn't find a specific shirt (replacing one I was wearing), most stores said to try Last Call. No one suggested Off Fifth, Bloomie's Outlet, or Nordstrom Rack. FWIW, Last Call has distinguished itself at least among employees at that mall!

Looks like Hudsons Bay is looking at some other deal other than Macy's (and Marshall Field's)... not necessarily a bad thing. I've been hearing from some Field's retirees they think Hudson Bay would have made State Street even more about real estateï¿½ Simply their opinion.

Hudsonï¿½s Bay in Discussions to Buy Neiman Marcus

The private-equity firms that own Neiman Marcus are in discussions to sell the struggling retail chain to rival Hudsonï¿½s Bay, which could create a luxury powerhouse.

I wonder how that works when they have the Saks and N-M flagships kitty-corner on Michigan Ave...not to mention off-price stores at the like of the Fashion Outlets at Rosemont...???? Will they really close one?

You can't do self-serve shoes and keep it high-end. Stores that implemented this ended up with a Kohl's selection. Then again, they also had "Corelle Boutique" in their china department. I believe it was Spring Hill Mall where I saw this. :-(

Less reliance on sales associates is a new concept? Golly, by most accounts here, they've implemented that about 10 or 11 years ago. Less service, clearance racks, self-service cosmeticsï¿½ Big stores like Marshall Field's on State Street don't fit that concept. People who shop at a store like State Street want service. They want experience. Sell off State Street now to someone who does like Selfridges. They could use the money from the sale to remodel the rest of the Macy's to be more Target-like.

Let's see--The Bon Ton stores have had self serve shoe racks for years; all of the old school department stores had "bargain basements;" macy stores have operated on a barebones staff for years; many retailers have had long term leased departments (Walmart has had leased optical, hair salons, Subway and McDonald's restaurants to serve their customers); JCPenney stores have been operating and expanding Sephora cosmetic departments--and offering coupons similar to what Mr Gennette is proposing.

WOW! Those "big changes" will certainly recapture all the lost shoppers!

If Macy's wants to maximize 111 north state sell the store and the nameplate to someone that wants to operate a unique experience, something millenials seek.

Hudson's Bay perusing niemans makes sense. Richard Baker prefers better to high end retail. Macy's made little sense, first thing he did when buying Hudson's Bay was dump their discount chain, Zellers on Target. Macy's has been targeted as a take over by off price retailer ross stores, which is still expanding and has twice the market cap as Macy's and a pretty good fit with Macy's statements about mimicking off price retailers rather than being a real department store.

Less reliance on sales associates is a new concept? Golly, by most accounts here, they've implemented that about 10 or 11 years ago. Less service, clearance racks, self-service cosmeticsï¿½ Big stores like Marshall Field's on State Street don't fit that concept. People who shop at a store like State Street want service. They want experience. Sell off State Street now to someone who does like Selfridges. They could use the money from the sale to remodel the rest of the Macy's to be more Target-like.

The picture of an outside macy entrance is representative of how run down and neglected the stores have become.

Somehow missing from all the discussions about the many problems at macy is the fact many of the failing stores were converted from popular regional department stores into a nationwide retailer that never gained traction with the communities it entered. Perhaps if Federated/May had recognized and capitalized on the strengths and popularity of the regional stores, the corporation would not be in serious trouble. Also amazing is the "mastermind" who orchestrated this debacle is not held responsible for this massive destruction.

The "mastermind" has caused irreparable harm across the nation. Somehow it's too far gone now to bring back the cherished shopping venues customers loved. His parting shot will be to downsize, divide, demolish and develop the State Street store so no semblance of Field's could ever be restored.

I Have to say it--- I do not trust red star-- They could arrange and agree with "partners" that the Walnut Room will remain -- and perhaps there could be a certain set of elevators that will take you to 7 for the Walnut room --- and that is the ONLY thing accessable on 7 --and perhaps the retail store is only lower level 1 - 3 and the Tiffany ceiling remains --also through special negotiation and accomadation in terms and agreements ---but above 3 - the building is then offices --or hotel--or condo's -- or whatever the "partners" see fit to do with it !!!I remain very concerned and worried about State Street -- Unfortunately it has been proven that red star does not have the ability --or vision--- to see WHAT Sate Street IS --or can be -- and they seem desperate at this point to commoditise all of their property----- Very concerning and Very scary!

No, the Walnut Room at Chicagoï¿½s flagship Macyï¿½s store isnï¿½t going anywhere, a company spokesperson said Monday, but questions surrounding the future of the State Street location remain unanswered.

Despite speculation on what might happen to the iconic restaurant following Macyï¿½s announcement that it plans to downsize its Chicago location, spokesperson Andrea Schwartz said the company has ï¿½no thoughts of closing our Walnut Room.ï¿½

Do they not realize that the Walnut Room is the one thing that keeps even the Field's supporters coming into the store? I know I'm preaching to the choir, but could the execs at macy's seriously be that stupid or out of touch?

Sad news about the Walnut Room, but somehow not surprising. The comment "to keep the tradition of the Walnut Room" seems to imply the iconic eatery will not remain as is. The executives at macy care nothing about long term planning, just short term profits. It wouldn't be too far fetched for them to open a suburban chain type restaurant in the store and name it "The Walnut Room," perhaps throwing around a Marshall Fields few artifacts here and there.

Some may remember the famous Higbee's store at Tower City in downtown Cleveland. That iconic department store housed the popular Silver Grille. Higbee's was taken over by Dillard's, the store was downsized to five sales floors, and the tenth floor restaurant was closed. Fortunately the restaurant was not dismantled after it was shut down. Years later Dillard's pulled out of downtown Cleveland and the building subsequently was converted into a casino. The Silver Grille was beautifully refurbished but it is currently NOT open to the public; it is operated as a private banquet venue by the adjacent Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

[Many of us already don't go or boycott, but] the Walnut Room is the only thing that keeps me coming back every Christmas. I absolutely love the room, the views, the ambiance (not so much that dumbass wine bar.) If they move the Walnut Room, or get rid of it, I won't go there anymore at all, I'll have no reason to.

Wasn't HE the one who transitioned to the coupon and discount format in an attempt to recapture the customers who abandoned the New York store which replaced their favorite emporiums.

Why can't the analysts admit that his failed strategy caused the loss of hundreds of stores and thousands of jobs! Instead of publicizing his opinions on how macy can be profitable, analysts should hold him accountable for his arrogance and poor judgement. How about comparison of money saved on purchasing shopping bags to the money lost when shoppers abandoned the stores. How about salaries and tax revenues lost when stores closed. It has become painfully evident that shoppers don't want macy!

Indeed online shopping has had a significant impact on brick and mortar stores. One wonders if the situation would have been this drastic had HE not worked his "magic" in taking away what were once unique shopping venues.

Crains Chicago Business has more extensive coverage. The comments are less than favorable. Sure, the upper floors aren't used, but office space is so mundane compared to what Macy's COULD do to increase business on State Street. These floors should be repurposed to drive traffic to this store so it is an international destination as it was when it was Marshall Field's. What sort of repurposes? A world class hotel, along with a department store museum. Everybody's wonky about their favorite deparment store. How about a world wide department store Mecca in the Marshall Field and Company Building which is the precedence for all other MODERN department stores world wide but especially in the UK, Europe, and North America. They want entertainment? That it would be, maximized in a world class department store known as Marshall Field's. (The casino proposed a few years back for the upper floors would be a bit over the top although it worked at Cleveland's former Higbees.)

I did not hear the entire conference call and questions, but Macy's says they want to downsize State Street like they did in Seattle. how much can they downsize the store without loosing its character and customers, and appeal?

If they go below the 7th Floor the eateries and the Walnut Room will close. Without the Walnut Room and the tree they might as well close the store since that brings in the customer base for Christmas shopping season. They could move the offices from 11 to 8 and rent out floors 9-12. Floor 13 has no windows and would be hard to lease out. Since the building is landmarked I don't think the city would allow structural changes to it. Currently 9-10-12-13 are pretty much vacant and unused. Target tried to lease out space in the upper floors and could not do it yeas ago.

Still a merges or somewhat merger with Hudson's bay could happen and the Macy's Inc . plans would most likely change

No, he's not gone 3/23. Am I missing it? Says nothing about when he will also step down as Chairman of the Board. Maybe after the May Stockhokder meeting? Listen for more information on real estate sales and other deals, senior management, etc. during the 9 AM conference call which you can listen to via the links from macysinc.com.

Was just reading through the Sunday papers. It sure seems like Macy's does a lot less advertising in the newspaper on Sundays. Maybe it's just that they advertise on the Internet more or on Thursday and Friday before the weekend. Or it could be that they're in trouble.

A decade after homogenizing America's regional icons of department store retailing into a JC Penney clone with older buildings, it looks like Macy's, Inc. (really Federated without the federation aspect) looks like it may be folding into NRDC's Hudson's Bay Company operation.

I was grateful that Lord & Taylor,unlike Marshall Field's,was able to escape the Macification. After its sale to NRDC it was joined under NRDC control by Hudson's Bay and by Saks Fifth Avenue. I note that the L&T and Saks flagships just 11 blocks apart on

Fifth Avenue have not been merged into one brand,and I hope the Hudson's Bay 350th and Lord & Taylor 200th anniversaries in the next decade happen with operations still being carried on under those distinct nameplates.

Perhaps NRC/Hudson's Bay should be petitioned to "re-regionalize" Macy's if they buy it?...Strategic Marks pried loose a number of historic brands Lundgren's regime had abandoned, but others are still in the portfolio and could be reused,with Marshall Field's the best example.

I see former 40-year Marshall Field executive George G. Rinder died last April at 95...he may not have lived to see a rebirth but I guess other old employees survive.

Have members of the Marshall Field family (I know there's a Marshall Field VI, did he have a VII?) been involved in the movement to restore Marshall Field's?

-=-=-

The World Trade Center towers MUST rise again, at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.

Macy's, Inc. (parent of Bloomingdale's, Macy's and Bluemercury) will have their 4th Q and year end 2016 conference call this Tuesday, February 21 at 9 a.m. Chicago time. You can listen by following the links from http://www.macysinc.com

There's a decent change that they will announce some deals perhaps even about the fate of State Street.

Ralph Hughes, Macy's VP retired in the past year. Last Thursday, the Chicago Loop Alliance made him a Director Emeritus. Mr, Hughes came from Atlanta's Rich's and was at Marshall FIeld's in the early 1990s, and stayed into the Macyization.

While more than a couple Field's supporters sparred with him over the conversion to Macy's, more than a couple of former Field's employees have spoken warmly of working under his direction.

Based on last Thursday's presentation, it seems Mr. Hughes no longer lives in the Chicao area.

The Chicago History Book Discussion Group reviewed "The Marshall Fields" by Axel Madsen yesterday at Edgewater Library. Several participants were former Field's employees. Hearing their stories could have created another book. The group was very interested in the impending fate of the State Street store and also in what Field's Fans is doing. I never saw our buttons and leaflets disappear so fast. It was a great group of people. I hope we can meet again as customers of a restored Marshall Field's.

The future of retail is going down. Nordstrom sales down along with Sears almost ready to file chapter 11, Kohl's, JcPenney, Bon-Ton, Dillard's and of course Macy's.

The worrisome thing is that if Hudson's bay does somehow manage to leverage a Macy's buyout, the State Street store will be very vulnerable. Even if the activist investors take control, I fear for State Street. I do not know how the building can be preserved if it is turned into a office/residential use. The floor spaces are very large and expansive with limited windows that would make it difficult for a hotel or residential units. Also since the building is landmarked , I don't think they could change the exterior of it or add floors to the top of it.

Hudsons' bay stores are very nice kinda like a upscale Macy's or similar to Macy's best stores In fact in 2012 the Toronto flagship sold green dog, first impressions , style & co, INC, Hotel to name a few Macy's brands. They are so similar that images show Hudson's bay stores having a clearance area like Last Act in Macy stores.

I heard a commercial that now Last Act is going to carry home items, maybe <Macy's should just bring back the bargain basement that they got rid of in the 70's.

Hello everyone. Let's get into the way back machine and travel back to those days when the wacky folks at Macy's said Marshall Field "failed" because they were too. promotional. Back to today, Macy's has a "one day sale" every weekend, the sales really run for three days (huh?) and lots of mailings. And still their business continues to sink.

True story

I was in one of the newer Macy's stores to return a gift. Outside of cosmetics ( who will not assist with general merchandise), I walked the entire store and could not locate a single sales person. Nice! So I went to the executive offices for help. The woman at desk said I was lying. So I challenged her to find someone to process the return. She couldn't. Macy's had an entire store void of sales help. The few people scheduled all went to lunch. Good employee management.

I cannot wrap my head around this relatively speaking tiny company buying a giant company. Even though this is a much different scenario, I'm frighteningly reminded of KMart buying Sears. And as far as Macy's highly valuable real estate, I always shake my head because in most cases, who else wants it? There's no line of department stores waiting to take their vacated spaces. Apparently mall owners are still willing to pay high just to acquire the land and knock the facilities down and start over; a lot like buying a 50's ranch home only to knock it down and replace it with a McMansion.

I donï¿½t agree. Hudson Bay has largely gone down hill in recent years. The Toronto store might be an exception. Let them but all of Macyï¿½s including the old Daytonï¿½s and Hudsonï¿½s. Doesnï¿½t anyone remember that D-H dragged Fieldï¿½s down? Let Hudson Bay take all of the Macyï¿½s and Hudsonï¿½s and Daytonï¿½s and let someone else have Fieldï¿½s be a stand alone store.

Last week, news broke that Macy's (M) has begun takeover talks with Hudson's Bay, helping to send its shares up 6.4%. At the time, Cowen's Oliver Chen concluded that "a deal would be difficult," though Stifel's Richard Jaffe wrote that "crazier thingsï¿½

In response to my earlier question, Jerry Storch is the person I was looking for. Check out the link below.

Storch is CEO of HBC. He was with Target where, for part of that time, he headed Dayton's/Hudson's*/Marshall Field's. (*Note that Hudsons Bay and Hudson's are two completely different entities that have never had a relationship.) Also note towards the bottom of this page where they describe HBC's stores. In terms of sheer numbers of stores, the combined number of Hudsons Bay, Lord and Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue, and outlet stores are less the size of Bon Ton (Parent of Carson Pirie Scott, among others). In other words, Hudsons Bay is about 1/3 to 1/2 the size of Macy's/Bloomingdale's. I'm curious as to when Jerry Storch was heading Target's department store division and if it was when they started emulating Selfridge's (real high point) or when it was controversial like around 1990 when they introduced to Brown Marshall Field and Company bags. Another article I can't find seems to suggest a Terry Lundgren and others will get a huge package deal if they exit Macy's at this time. If you find out her article, please post.

I always appreciated Field's demographic approach of marketing to the up-scale crowd, but also to the (much larger) 'aspirational' crowd - those who aspire to luxury and affluence. Upon first arriving in Chicago in the 1850's, Marshall Field himself, under the tutelage of Potter Palmer, quickly recognized the social and material aspirations of the ladies of Chicago who wished for a lifestyle that was significantly above that of a muddy western 'cow town.' By catering to that yearning for elegance, Field was able to successfully grow his firm into a retail - and cultural - force to be reckoned with. It's time to take that approach again, by creating an over-all retail experience that flatters the aspirations of the Chicago consumer.

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The merchandising approach is to showcase the high-end merchandise, but then to also have available similar items of high quality but at a significantly more 'modest' price (the secret of Field's various house brands). Provide good value to the aspirational customer by making available well-designed quality goods at an affordable price.

Some have been asking about Hudson's Bay Company(HBC). Here is a link to the corporate site. If you shop at Lord and Taylor, Sak's Fifth Avenue or Sak's Off Fifth, you already shop HBC. If you have a Lord and Taylor credit card (like I do) or a Sak's credit card, you already have a credit card that's good at Hudson's Bay department stores in Canada. In fact, the Hudson's Bay logo appears on the back of the credit cards I mentioned if you received the card in the past couple of years. I have never been a to Hudson's Bay store--perhaps some of you here can comment and confirm your impressions. Sometimes I hear people say that Hudson's Bay stores are like Canada's version of Macy's. I've heard others say that the flagship store is gorgeous and shared with a new Sak's. I understand that one of the most senior execs with HBC is a former Marshall Field exec who is familiar with State Street. I would love to hear your impressions of all this. One piece of information that is interesting is that while HBC also has a significant real estate investment trust (REIT), HBC is also significantly smaller that Macy's/Bloomingdale's/Bluemercury which may complicate a merger. I look forward to comments about your first-hand experiences with HBC.

Selfridges Group is another department store operator that Field's Fans have expressed support for Field's stewardship. It not only operates Selfridges in London but other stores in the UK, Europe, and Canada. What impresses me is how much they try to retain and restore the ethos of the historic department stores of which they take stewardship. The company is largely controlled by Galen Weston Limited of Toronto which also owns Loblaws, Canada's largest grocer. You know Loblaws if you remember National Tea grocery stores which was based here in Chicago and then Rosemont until about 20-25 years ago. So the family that effectively "owns" Selfridges actually is familiar with Chicago and Field's. Here's a link to Selfridges Group:

HBC has shown success in running big city flagships. And having no decent mid-,to upper-range department stores here in the Pac NW, I shop L&T online constantly. One part that concerns me is the size of this take over and if HBC can manage it.

Canadaï¿½s Hudsonï¿½s Bay has approached Macyï¿½s about a takeover, people familiar with the matter said, as the biggest U.S. department-store chain grapples with disappointing results and restive shareholders. Continues...

If Terry Lundgren wanted Marshall Field's to survive as part of the deal, my opinion is that he probably would not have done a deal with Frango. Still, let's fight the fight to bring back Marshall Field and company.

Also, another inside track for Hudson Bay is that it has sold some of Macy's private brands in the past.

BATUS owned Gimbels, Saks, and Field's in the 1980s. They closed Gimbels in the 1980s and then sold off Saks and Field's by the end of the decade.

Carson's became part of Sak's Norther Department Store Group. Then Saks became Profitts and then the two separated with Dillard's acquiring a lot of Profitts but Parisian stores in Detroit went to Bon-Ton with the rest of the Northern Departement Stores Group...golly, I'm losing track...

HBC has Sak's on Michigan Avenue. (I am underwhelmed by the architecture of that store.) One rumor I heard a couple years ago was that they would like all the Chicagoland Lord and Taylor stores branded as Sak's. I even heard a rumor that HBC would lease the Marshall Fields name and use it for their Lord and Taylor and Sak's stores in Chicago. Sounds crazy--but too complicated to explain here in Facebook.

Barbara: that would be interesting. Hudson's Bay and Selfridges are huge rivals in Canada right now. Selfridge's operates Holt Renfrew. personally, I think would be a great thing if Hudson Bay ended up with Macy's and Selfridges ended up with the A list locations of Field's plus Bloomingdale's. [ According to what I have read, Hudson's Bay is much smaller than Macy's/Bloomingdale's.]

Based on my study of the building and some media stories, I think State Street will continue to have a major department store but it will be reduced to the State Street side and go up to the 8th floor. Wabash side will be used tor other purposes, with one room on the main floor used as a lobby to all the other floors, especially floors 9 and up which would belong to someone else, including the State Street side. But the building has maximum value when it is connected with Marshall Field's.

The whole problem with Macy's is their stock shot up way high in 2015 and the activist investors made a poor decision to jump onboard. They now want t heir money and do not care if the company is forced to liquidate all of their properties and go out of business. They have no caring for any of the operations let alone the names of the regional stores and of course the CUSTOMERS!!!!

Looking back in the 80's that is the reason why MF&CO sold out to BAtus activist investors out for short term profits which sold it to Dayton/Hudson to May to FDS.

Maybe Bloomingdale's might be sold first and then Macy's. Also The Gap on State Street is closing this month. It seems so many retailers are having problems, especially the mall stores. Off Price TJX Companies are doing very well. They have a surprise format in their stores. The worst that could possibly happen would be for the activist investors to get seats on the board and force the company to sell off State Street and the store portfolio. GREED AT ITS WORST

Aaron Mosesbro, Michael Russell Totally agree. I think this is make or break time. We did contact some of the activist investors and are making attempts again now. All they care about is money but there are a couple of parties I'm thinking of -- Selfridges Group (for reasons we have discussed) and Hudson's Bay as well (who would be good stewards).

Hudson's Bay, owner of Sak's and Lord and Taylor, has a former senior Marshall Field's exec in one of the top positions. Selfridges Group operates Holt's in Canada.

Contributing to all the uncertainty is the tumultuous US political circumstances are making it idea for something bad (or good) to happen because politics, not stores are not a central focus these days.

Some of our regulars now prefer to post at our Facebook group. Whenever it seems to translate well to this forum, those Facebook posts will be cross-posted here. The posts here will show the poster's first name and last initial. The time stamp here may be the time it first was crossposted here rather than its original Facebook time stamp.

As always, those Facebook posts remain solely the opinion of the original poster on Facebook, are presented for discussion and even disagreement and request for correction by anyone who might read the post. The posts do not necessarily represent the opinion of those who operate FieldsFansChicago.org.

Just as selling off the Craftsman brand is one less reason to bother going to what's left of Sears, getting rid of Frango is one less reason to bother going to what remains of Marshall Field's. The major issues are quality and distribution. The Craftsman tools sold at Sears today are nowhere near what were sold there years ago; one wonders about the Craftsman tools which will be made by Black & Decker. With no quality control or standardization, the name will surely mean nothing. In fact, many tool buyers have found better items at Lowe's or Home Depot and have totally abandoned Craftsman. In many cases, the husband might go to Sears specifically to look at tools while the wife and children would come along to purchase other items.

The fine quality of Frango has declined greatly since macy took over. One wonders if the new owners will make the brand into a "commodity" which will sold everywhere and no longer anything special. Just like macy did to the stores it took over. There's not much reason to shop at macy now, the mass production and distribution of Frangos will make them available at Walgreens and the neighborhood grocery store.

Perhaps the Frango brand isn't worth much since Marshall Field's is no longer in existence--and who deserves the blame for that! Hard to believe the board of directors would allow one egomaniac "genius" to make such poor decisions.

Haven't seen a price mentioned. And I wonder for how long Macy's will carry Frangos (and whether it's part of the contract. ) And most importantly will Macy's continue to offer it on sale every other week!?

Didn't realize only some Macy stores sold. Guessing where MF, BM and Ohio stores, where they sold before.

Agreed. The Segment on 780/105.9 that just aired interviewed a food marketing expert from L.A. I was skeptical at first but he turned out to be very astute. He totally "got" the Marshall Field's and Frango brand, pointed out that MF&Co did a much better job of promoting Frango and then said that this seemed as if Macy's was starting a firesale.

Sears was known for Craftsman tools, while Marshall Field's had Field Gear. At a bare bones minimum, it would not be ideal, but it would be "ok" if I could buy Field Gear clothes again - regardless of who owns the brand.

I believe Garrett's is a Chicago company....and I don't think that they have too much of a reach outside the Chicago area. This potentially extends the brand outside the area...and perhaps also brings Garrett's to places like the West Coast.

Far as MF&CO? I like to think that Garrett's is keeping it local and if our beloved MF&CO comes back, perhaps Garrett.s can be a part of that.Exactly. Good for Frangos, per se; not so good for M.F. & Co.

I think you are right, Timothy Eischen. If Frangos everywhere, why special? On the other hand, we tend to forget that Frangos have been sold in the Pacific Northwest as well all these years. I have heard that Garrett's owners are good.

Anyone who thinks this is a good thing for Chicago is seriously misguided. Macy's is setting things up so Marshall Field's does not come back in any recognizable form. No, it's not awesome. It's a tragedy.

The one positive aspect of Garrett buying Frango is that it returns the brand to local ownership. Otherwise, this smacks of Sears selling the Kenmore brand, which amounts to buying a little more time to keep a doomed company afloat.

Not good at all. Means less of a reason to ever shop these stores. Sadly, I believe this is one of the first moves of the new CEO. Basically dismantling Field's. Will you be ready to picket when they attempt to close State Street?

Pretty much it states what we all already know and understood 11 years ago when this whole debacle of the destruction of the local stores and the wonton dismantling and destruction of Field's occurred -- they probably could have asked ANY of us at that time and we could have told them the problems that would develop- it is NOT ok - but what is there to do about it ??? we can only do what we have been doing and perhaps someone in power will realise the way forward (red star STILL Owns dozens of nameplates and rights to those names and can potentially use them --- they would need to un-do the dismantling--I don't believe they know how - or would want to - even with a sinking ship----

Exhilarating to read that the fight continues for Marshall Field's. I saw this link after the Crain's Chicago article. I really agree with the counter opinion that mentioned this site.

Below, the person who is Mike, who focuses on Fox Valley and saying that Marshall Field's should move into the old Bloomingdale's locations doesn't really know much. (Maybe they are a former Macy's employee?) The Water Tower Place and State Street stores are so intertwined with Marshall Field and Company brand experience. Putting Marshall Field's in the Bloomingdale store would just make things worse. It's the same kind of crazy Macy's thinking that had us lose Marshall Field's in the first place. I'm sure Macy's insists on having a Michigan Avenue store. Let them move Macy's into Bloomingdale's on N. Michigan Ave. and have a home store over at Wabash Avenue. I don't think people are so concerned at all about what happened at Fox Valley.

All the horrible things happening in our world, bringing back Marshall Field's would be a sweet respite.

Mikea I'm glad to hear you say that Marshall Fields should be brought back to Chicago. However it MUST come back to its state street flagship. The Fields brand and that location go hand and hand. Other current bloomingdales or macy's locations can follow but if it doesn't came back to state street I don't see the point of bringing it back.I would love to see MF back at Old Orchard and Oakbrook as well!!!

I agree with the Crain's author somewhat. Macy's big mistake was to end their service departments ie gift wrap close in store eateries ie Old orchard Fox Valley. They also stopped the localization program of my macy's in favor of a more amazon like approach which is failing.

They could have expanded their my macy's program more and made the flagship stores take on the flavor of the regional stores they once were even co naming them. Instead they closed some and shrunk others only to retreat and take the real estate value and alienate the customers.

Macy's should in Chicago close the three bloomingdale's stores, they are empty and a waste on the company. They should be rebranded Marshall Field's and run by Bloomingdale's. Maybe Macy's should split off blomingdales' or sell them.

They do not even respond to their online tell us what you think anymore. It just shows they no longer care for the customers.

Crain's Chicago Business is reprinting an opinion piece that originally ran in Advertising Age. It is by Rance Crain, president of Crains Communication and editor-in-chief of from Advertising Age. If you have Crains login, please consider leaving your comments afterwards or even submitting a letter to the editor at letters@chicagobusiness.com, editor@chicagobusiness.com

"Regarding the Marshall Field's brand and experience, at the time of the Federated/Macy's-May Department Stores merger, their own official SEC 10K filings listed Marshall Field's tradenames as $419M. At that same time, Macy's/Bloomingdale's tradenames were valued at $377M. (Yes, less.) A dozen other department store tradenames, including Lord and Taylor, Filene's, Hecht's, Famous Barr, and others had a COMBINED value of less than $190M. 5-8 years ago, the grass roots group, Field'sFansChicago surveyed 2,300 Michigan Avenue and State Street shoppers. Surveys consistently showed 78%-80% -- about 4 out of 5 -- preferred Marshall Field's over Macy's and wanted it to return to the two tourist shopping destinations and shopped Macy's less. When Macy's says that Marshall Field's was losing money, that division included about 40 out of 62 stores which were Dayton's and Hudson's stores. (Target still owns those two store names.). Of about 10 stores closed by Macy's in the former Dayton's/Hudson's/Field's division, only Lake Forest and Bloomingdale/Stratford were Marshall Field's stores in 2001. The rest were Dayton's or Hudson's--those stores were doing poorly and among recent closures. Stockholder reps from Field's Fans Chicago have spoken at the conclusion of annual Macy's stockholder meetings in Cincinnati every year since 2008. After speaking, other stockholders have responded to FieldsFansChicago that they agree, that they think it's been a mistake to get rid of Marshall Field's at key Chicago locations and/or that Field's would have been a stronger brand in Chicago than Bloomingdale's. Support for the Field's brand and experience continues to be very strong. A few weeks ago during the holidays, Close to 250 posed for photos pleading for Field's return to State Street. This is documented in about 200 of these photos which can be viewed at http://www.fieldsfanschicago.org Shoppers and stockholders aren't asking to have all 20 Marshall Field's stores to come back. They probably overbuilt in the 1980s. But it makes so much sense from the perspective of stockholders, shoppers, and even tax payers who could realize greater sales taxes to restore Marshall Field's in name AND EXPERIENCE to at least State Street. Perhaps a few other locations like Old Orchard, Water Tower, Oak Brook, Woodfield, Mayfair should also be considered for restoration to the Field's brand and experience. And no, it shoudn't be co-branding--"Marshall Field's by Macy's" would sounds as great as "Cadillac by Chevy." If there's not enough room in Chicago for Bloomies, Field's, and Macy's, they should make Bloomingdale's Michigan Avenue Macy's and restore Field's to it's former location. Bloomingdale's is really just regional, doing best in the Northeast, Florida and California."

I agree with Tim's post. Department stores need to stop chasing Amazon. Macy's especially thinks this. In the last two years their my macy's localization program has fallen apart in favor a more amazon like approach. Instead of closing the profitable downtown stores, they should have capitalized on them for more localization in merchandise and promotions. Pittsburgh, Portland and Minneapolis are cities with a rising downtown office and resident populations.

The stores can keep the Macy's name, but change the merchandise to reflect local flavor, tastes, traditions, the regional stores had.

it is still not to late to do that to STATE STREET, Water Tower, Seattle, Miami, Boston, and San Francisco. The stores all cannot be alike.

They need new management that understands that localization will differentiate them from online retailers and bring customers back to them as destination stores. Stop cutting back on promotions events ie Glamoarama, departments, staffing just to save money and think the customers won't notice.

Since before the takeover of Field's, Sachse was one of Terry Lungren's closest, and a huge supporter of Macyization of everything including Field's. In one sense it could be a good sign; yet, there's an unknown quantity with Gennette who becomes Macy's CEO in February. Lundgren is slated to still continue as Chairman of the Board after that. Regardless, I will be at the stockholders meeting on Friday, May 19, 2017 to stand up for Marshall Field and Company.

Here's another couple of more links to typically decent sources to more information:

Again, the REAL culprit still occupies his seat in the executive suite. Had there been some oversight or HONEST market research 10 years ago, one wonders how many of the 200 plus shuttered stores would still be operating and how many of the thousands of laid off employees would still have a job. Granted, online shopping and declining mall locations would have necessitated SOME store closures but not to the magnitude seen the past few years. How many successful stores rapidly lost business and went downhill once converted to macy? Guess a vintage holiday movie and red stars everywhere didn't equate to retail success.

I agree with Dave's post . Macy's big problem is lack of leadership and cost cutting. Before FDs bought May Company, Macy's was a great store with great values, merchandise and traditions. Even the first few years after absorbing MAY THEY WERE GOOD< HOWEVER THEY BROUGHT IN SOME OF THE CHEAP TACKY May merchandise and that brought down the quality.

The last two to three years the bottom is falling out. Constant cost cutting with staff and confusing sales and deals, lack of merchandise that is special, merchandise that the web says is at a store and then is not there. not only does this confuse the customers, but the associates too.

What does Macy's Inc do fire another 6,000 managers planners, buyers and back office support people. Do they actually think that service and sales will not suffer. I cannot believe they had 6,000 useless people working at the company. Still they do this after two to three years of cost cutting in staff. The real problem is the top executives and executive committee. However like all US companies those at the top responsible for a company's performance never take the blame only those who do the actual work.

Macy's needs new leadership and goals, continued store closings unless it is a dead or dying location and layoffs will not solve the core problems!!!!!!!!!!!

Not only is macy lacking in creativity and innovation, they have destroyed valued services and traditions offered by the department stores they consumed. Simply stated, there is NO compelling reason to visit a macy store--nothing special, same old same old, nondescript. Closing stores will not solve the problem of declining sales and decreasing stock values; the cause of the problem must be addressed and corrected. Perhaps the NEW leadership will look back at what was successful and give the shoppers what they want! Ten years later and macy is still an epic fail.

I mostly agree with Phil. I also think Joliet is a closure candidate. The fixtures and store is in bad shape, not to mention in 1980s mauve/dusty pink in places. It hasn't been remodeled in a while. Then again, I haven't been in there a while. Spring Hill is a troubled mall. They better do something. The now-Macy's is actually kind of old, opened in 1980/81 as Field's. 36 years ago or so. The Carson's there is actually nicer than Field's/Macy's. The stores have moved around there, but if I recall correctly, it was originally P.A. Bergner/Weisse. It's still a nicer store than Macy's. JCPenney pulled out a couple of years ago. I see Macy's pulling out of SPring Hill, just my opinion as a customer.

Once again Macy's is thinking shortsighted. Closing of the downtown Minneapolis store may bring in short term revenue, but at what cost. Consider the goodwill and customers they will loose from the closing.

Some of the store closings ie Eastland Mission Valley are in dead malls and need to be closed. I was surprised to See River Oaks, Horton PLaza and Glenbrook not on the list.

Also the announcement of many management positions being eliminated, is this going to mean even less customer service!!!! Also what about merchandising is this going to mean more just hohum basic stock merchandise that seems to have permenated the stores in the last two years.

The first years Macy's performed well good merchandise at good pricing, however ever since they became investment grade and the investor activists have taken over, the company is spirling downward.

Sales are not even real sales anymore just trying to confuse customers, Decorations and events in the stores are going downward, merchandise is becoming very basic no pizazzz etc. The company needs to be sold and taken private. Bloomingdale's needs to be spun off and sold. Bluemercury was a big mistake for the company. The investor activists need to be disposed of or the company will continue to downward slide and be liquidated in 10 years or less.

Of the former Field's stores, the oldest are Mayfair, old orchard, Oakbrook and river oaks. Other than River oaks, all very very profitable. Stratford was always a dog and too close to Woodfield. Springhill is at the edge of the sticks, pretty much new and the mall is under 45 million redevelopment. I think Northbrook could be a closure candidate, too close to old orchard. Northbrook Neiman's is a top producer, but the Neiman's client never enters the mall

They sure are closing a lot of former Hudson's and Dayton's stores (four). They closed Northland about two years ago. Of course, all five stores were branded as Marshall Field's for about 4 years, 2002-06.

Closing the former Dayton's flagship is so sad. What a loss for Minneapolis. I ran into one of my Marshall Field's co-workers on the 6th floor on the bus shortly before Christmas. I told her about the rumors for this store and she has no idea what is going on with the company she works for. I told her about this page and the up to date information. I will right the page information down and go into the store and give it to her. She also worked for Marshall Field's when Dayton Hudson bought it.

Actually, since you are considering precedents, later today could be the day. After the bell. First Wednesday of the first full week of the new year. For example, Wednesday, January 7, 2015, Wednesday, January 9, 2013, Wednesday, January 4, 2012. All days when they announced. Maybe today?

If past years' precedents are any indication, it's very possible that we will hear TODAY (Tuesday) or at least sometime this week as to the full list of 100 Macy's, Inc. stores that are closing.

I have no idea if any stores in Chicagoland are among those. At the same time, I think it's 99.9% likely that State Street, Water Tower Place, Woodfield, Oak Brook, Old Orchard, and Orland Park Macy's locations, along with Bloomingdale's at 900 N. Michigan Ave., are safe. Remember that some of the criteria include that in the store makes more money as another purpose instead of being run is a department store and also terms of leases. And, according to Macy's, Inc. conference calls in the past, all of the stores that are closing in the United States are all currently profitable but just could be more profitable if use differently.

In the past, under the category of "pure speculation", posters here have speculated that River Oaks/Calumet City, Louis Joliet, Spring Hill, Stratford Square, and even perhaps either Northbrook Court or Hawthorne might be among the hundred stores closing. Others have speculated that Bloomingdale's at Old Orchard or at the Wabash home store could be candidates, as could the two Macy's home stores at Oakbrook and Schaumburg. Of course, there are two other Macy's that are never on our radar because they never were once Marshall Field stores. Those are Bolingbrook and Gurnee Mills. Those are pretty new but you never know.

For those who don't know, Ross Dress for Less is a closeout/clearance store, a few steps BELOW TJMaxx and Marshalls. Whereas the latter two discount stores do have some decent displays and fixtures, Ross is more of a bare bones operation-- only having long pipe racks packed with miscellaneous clothing and plain metal shelving with spotty assortments of merchandise. The clothing and home goods at Ross are also of a lower quality, in my opinion.

For those who follow the history of American retailing and who believe the old adage "history repeats itself," this scenario with Ross Stores is reminiscent of what happened with Schottenstein Stores in the 1980s. Schottenstein was a discount store operation based in Columbus OH which bought out ailing regional chains--Halle's in Cleveland, Steinbach in New Jersey, Hochschild Kohn in Baltimore, Crowely's in Detroit, Korvettes on the East Coast. Many locations were liquidated and sold off, while others were converted to their Value City format.

My guess is that Ross would eventually remake the macy stores into the discount format. By converting the regional department stores into macy and eliminating what made these stores special, sales and stock prices have plummeted. By failing to maintain stores plus adding the Backstage and Last Act clearance areas, macy has further cheapened their brand name. There is truly no magic!

We have close to 200 photos of what I estimate to be about 250 people who wanted to be photographed under The Great Clock at State and Washington during seven extended lunch hours this holiday season on November 5, 25, & 26 and December 3, 10, 17, & 23, 2016.

I've finally got the photos available--see below. Each square has a larger counterpart. Upon request via email to me at jjmckay AT me DOT com, I will post the larger, full image. The photos are presented roughly in reverse chronological order,

Thank you to all who supported our campaign under The Great Clock this past holiday season, especially Gloria, Lucie, Judy, Renï¿½e, and Marie for efforts under the clock; Gail, Gayle, Alfred, and John. Also not forgetting several of you who prefer to remain anonymous and everyone who has supported us by sharing or "liking" links to our images, posts, and more here and on our other social media channels. And of course all who posed for selfies.

THANK YOU.

All photos ï¿½2016 FieldsFansChicago & Jim McKay. All rights reserved. Permission for publication granted provided there is a photo credit.

Selfridges is now offering a service for international delivery to every country in the world that they ship to for an annual fee of fifty US dollars. I signed up for this service and have acquired many British gifts for Christmas presents. Two orders are basically all it takes to cover the annual fee in itself and there is no minimum purchase threshold.

Chicago desires a high quality retail institution which operates under the same principles that Field's used to.

As the Best Department Store in the World and a history tied to Marshall Field's, this is an opportunity to further the Selfridges Come Home to Chicago/Selfies for Selfridges campaign.

Happy Hanukkah! Merry Christmas! Happy Kwanzaa! Four years ago, in 2012, was for various reasons perhaps the most challenging year for those of us who stood out on State Street. FACT: for whatever reason, encouraging us on, we kept spontaneously hearing Luciano Pavarotti singing Ave Maria and The Night That Christ Was Born--car driving by playing it, somebody with a music player walking by, our car driving to State Street, and once even on the subway on our way to stand underneath the clock. It's the music we heard and the beauty we were encouraged by. Go figure. Inspired by this, we got together with some Field's alumni/retirees and put together this message for the season. Not saying it's the best video or anything but we just want to sure our heartfelt feelings of being out there on State Street in the cold for the cause of bringing back Marshall Field and company. This is the preferred version and it should play OK now on any type of computer or device, unlike a few years ago where we had another version which wasn't as nice sounding.) I like a lot of the photos in this slideshow/video because it demonstrates that Marshall Field was great even into its very last year. Are cause it's not just about nostalgia for something 40 or 50 years ago but something that's very contemporary and constantly being reinvented. That was Marshall Field and Company. As Alfred often says, here's to the once & future Marshall Field's.

TEN YEARS AGO shoppers made their feelings known--they wanted their beloved local department stores. Now after years of lost customers and declining sales, analysts realize the May Company merger and rebranding of stores was a colossal mistake:

Simply closing stores isn't going to solve the problem. Shoppers have no connection to macy. Perhaps if they had come to town, opened their own stores, and competed fairly, macy might have gained some traction by trying to offer a better alternative. Instead they bought out the competition and brought their abrasive New York "better than everywhere else" attitude. Entering a macy store in Baltimore and seeing big pictures of their Herald Square flagship doesn't much matter,

Here's a suggestion--instead of CLOSING stores to regain profitability, how about REOPENING some? Start with the crown jewel Marshall Field's. Don't just put the name on a building filled with macy merchandise and management--bring back what was taken away and watch the customers return. Convert what were the top locations back to Fields! Keep the lower tier stores as macy. Once this catches on in Chicago, restore other beloved nameplates to their respective cities. Operate at least a few of the better stores in each market under the regional names. This would help their online business too--order a bathing suit from Burdines, The Florida Store or Frango mints from Marshall Field's. Then shoppers could have something special again!

Terry Lundgren's "legacy" is equivalent to those of Ron Johnson at JCPenney and Eddie Lampert at Sears. Future business school classes can study how arrogance, indifference to consumer wants and needs, failure to understand their customer base, and lack of market research lead to the near destruction of iconic American retailers.In all three cases the CEOs thought they knew best and failed to provide what the customers wanted. In all three cases, the results have been disastrous--lost jobs, closed stores, lower stock values.

Thank you for the beautiful article by Leslie Goddard! I still remember my first trip to Marshall Field's to see Santa when I was 5 years old. For a child it was like the experience of a lifetime. Thank-you to all Field's Fans for your continued efforts to restore the experience of Field's to State Street!

Growing up in Chicago, very Fond memories of Marshall Field's Chicago - the trip downtown on the el from Jefferson Park, the trip through the underground tunnels and the walkthrough into the store below ground level. The hustle and bustle of the massive store, the very high ceilings, the many eateries ( I think on the 8th floor). The Holiday Decorating and sparing NO Expense. The massive christmas tree, the Walnut Room, Frango Mints, the Holiday windows outside and finally the magical wait and chatter with Santa Clause. Marshall Field's a store like no other in Chicago. It was a very sad day when Macy's purchased Field's and rebranded it as their one of many chain stores. Marshall Field's losing its character, losing its uniqueness that made the store, its "Brand" Great - it WAS Chicago.

Here's another look back at Field's and Christmas. Leslie Goddard, author of the book Remembering Marshall Field's, has posted a marvelous essay online at smithsonianmag.com: "For Generations of Chicagoans, Marshall Field's Meant Business and Christmas." This brilliant piece discusses how and why Field's holiday traditions evolved into something much more significant than mere retail strategy. It's a must-read for all Field's Fans. The link is below. Bravo, Leslie!!

Here is a link to a wonderful story which appeared in Evanston RoundTable. It's about Sallie Posniak, who worked for Marshall Field's Display Department for many years and was ultimately in charge of decorating the Great Tree:

[ Both Marshall Field I and R. H. Macy had sons who led troubled lives.]

Woman Clears Mystery of Marshall Field Jr. Death in November of 1905.

SAYS SHE MURDERED MARSHALL FIELD, JR.

WOMEN CLEARS MYSTERY OF CHICAGO MILLIONAIRE'S DEATH.

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 22, 1913 ï¿½ The mystery surrounding the death of Marshall Field, Jr., heir to $100,000,000, in Chicago November 23, 1905, was cleared up today, if the confession made by Mrs. Vera Scott, wife of Lloyd D. Scott, a Kansas City musician, can be believed. For eight years Fieldï¿½s death has been unexplained. He was shot, but that is all the public has known.

Besides killing Field, Mrs. Scott confessed that ...

Continues at http://drloihjournal.blogspot.com/2016/11/woman-clears-mystery-of-marshall-field.html

Neither sleet not freezing rain could keep us Field's Fans from being out on State Street today. Even had to squeegee off sleet from the signs.

There were significantly less people out on State Street today than might be expected for the last full Saturday of shopping before Christmas.

While the weather made it more difficult than usual to take photos, We did get ten shots that cane out pretty well and ar forthcoming.

Special thanks to Dianne (who came almost 100 miles to help out) and Ms Moore (embarrassed to say I may have the wrong name but she's from here) who made the afternoon extra special. Also many, many thanks to Gail,Gaylee, John, and of course Alfred for making it possible with their support.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016: Because of the weather and the unusual nature of Christmas Eve falling on a Saturday, we're going to try for one more time out on State Street this Friday afternoon, December 23. Watch this Group for exact details. Hope you can make it out. Thanks for all you do to help bring back Marshall Field and Company.

Cleaning out the Christmas closet & came across this gem of a shopping bag thinking just how much this cost to make ( the ornament is a clear pane and the harlequin print is on the interior opposite side bag ) [From about 2001 or 2002]

It's a little beat up but I've kept it to store my gift bags all these years

It was very cold and windy today from 11:45 am-2 pm but enthusiasm for Field's was again hot. We passed out hundreds of our brand-new 2016 edition of the flyers and almost as many pin-on "Time To Bring Back Marshall Field's" pin-on buttons. Due to the wind and cold, it was a little harder to take photos, but we will have about a dozen different subjects here in today's photos. Thanks to all for the support, especially Gail, Alfred, Gayle, J., And everyone else who stopped by to help, especially the two different annons who helped with holding the signs and passing out leaflets for a while. Please join us next Saturday, December 17, 2016, from at least 11:30 AM to 1 PM when we will repeat again. Thanks for all you do to help bring back Marshall Field and company.

Please join us at State and Washington Streets under the great clock from 11:30 a.m.ï¿½1 p.m. (and beyond?) this Saturday, December 10th and next Saturday, December 17, 2016. You can join us in distributing pin-on buttons and bookmark flyers in support of our case. There will also be a few protest signs with which people can pose, continuing our ï¿½Selfies Protest Rallyï¿½ from last yearï¿½s holiday season and this past September. Many end up enjoying the fellowship of meeting other Chicagoans on State Street and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year.

Your presence would be an immense help as we hope and work, little by little, to have Marshall Field's restored to State Street in name, ethos, and style.

While itï¿½'s not required, it is recommended that if you plan to come, please RSVP.Sometimes weather or unforeseen activities on State Street mean we have to relocate nearby where we make our stand for Fieldï¿½s. If we know that you are coming and we have contact info, we can forward any unlikely last minute changes to you. If you have further questions either in advance or even during the 90 minutes we will be on State Street, please email jjmckay at me dot com

Photos from our previous activities on can be found by scrolling down our blog at http://www.fieldsfanschicago.org/blog/ Although updates have delayed, look for photos and posts from past couple of weekendï¿½s activities to appear soon. Thank you to all who helped make it a success, especially Lucie, Renee and of course Gloria.

We are also especially thankful for the support of Gail, Gayle, J., and Alfred in providing the pin-on buttons that we distribute on State Street. Thank you so very much.

If you would like to contribute money to help us continue our pin-on buttons this holiday season, please Facebook Mesenger me for details.

Please stay in ouch with our social media outlets (below) for any last-minute announcements or changes to our Saturday activities..

The recent news of the Meier and Frank Building closing in Portland, which I just go to see for the first time in October, and the Dayton's building in Minneapolis is just so sad. I was able to visit that store a few years ago, and who can forget seeing it every week when we watched the Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Of course this is the Fields blog, and Fields was my favorite, was in Chicago a few weeks ago, and went to Oakbrook and Woodfield, I did buy some Frango's couldn't help myself in the Woodfield "Marketplace" at least it was still there for the moment, although no wine shop, and no green stripes.

Being in retail, the traffic is just not coming, the migration to online is shocking this season.....

I honestly totally believe that if they took State Street and Water Tower and rebranded them Field's again, it would really help, maybe i'm being optimistic, but I think with the retro trends everywhere, they would get some great press out of it...

Does anyone recall the Marklin train layout in the toy department at the State Street store in the early 1980s? I tried finding pictures or video of it, but haven't had any luck. I remember it had catenary lines for power, it was the first time I'd seen such a thing in a model.

The Walnut Room mugs now are just boring. Same old Christmas tree. At least Field's changed it up every year. I have Santabear mugs going back to the early 80's (Thank you, various thrift stores and eBay!!).

arson's Santa is back on State Street, at least on weekends. Kathryn Bufano, The former exec with many department store chains including Federated/Macy's and Belk became CEO OF Carson's/Bon-Ton. Having grown up in Chicago, she is quoted how much she missed Marshall Field's, suggesting it was a mistake to get rid of it. So it's interesting this year that Carsons is partnering with block 37 to have Santa's Pantry on weekends, competition to Macy's Santaland across street. I wouldn't be surprised if she's disappointed that Bon Ton got rid of Carson's on State Street some years before she arrived on the scene here in Chicago.

It was very cold and windy today from 11:50 am-2 pm but enthusiasm for Field's was hot. The reaction for bringing back Marshall Field and company to State Street was plain to see. Even more people just insisted on taking a photo of our signs. Photos Forthcoming

Please join us at State and Washington Streets under the great clock TODAY FROM 11:50 a.m.ï¿½1:15 p.m. (and beyond?). Sorry this is late notice--weren't sure that would be able to do it today. Please be so kind to hold nostalgic photos another similar posts until after 6 pm today so that we can generate attention on our activities today. Thank you

You can join us in distributing some pin-on buttons and bookmark flyers in support of our case. There will also be a few protest signs with which people can pose, continuing our ï¿½Selfies Protest Rallyï¿½ from last yearï¿½s holiday season and this past September.

PLEASE NOTE: please do not post any "regrets" about being unable to attend i.e. "wish I could butï¿½" type comments until after the event occurs. Such comments before the event will be removed and posted at a later date.

This is an excellent opportunity for us to make our case for Marshall Field's return in front of the media who may stop by, as they did last year.

Your presence would be an immense help as we hope and work, little by little, to have Marshall Field's restored to State Street in name, ethos, and style.

While itï¿½s not required, it is recommended that if you plan to come, please RSVP. Sometimes weather or unforeseen activities on State Street mean we have to relocate nearby where we make our stand for Fieldï¿½s. If we know that you are coming and we have contact info, we can forward any unlikely last minute changes to you. If you have further questions either in advance or even during the 90 minutes we will be on State Street, please respond to this email, or call AREA CODE THREE ONE TWO dash 927 dash 4424.

Photos from our previous activities on Saturday, November 5, 2016 can be found by scrolling down our blog at http://www.fieldsfanschicago.org/blog/ Thank you to all who helped make it a success, and especially Lucie and Gloria.

We are also especially thankful for the support of Gail, Gayle, John and Alfred in providing the pin-on buttons that we distribute on State Street. Thank you so very much.

We expect that we will repeat these activities at the time, at least 11:30 a.m.ï¿½1 p.m. on the first three Saturdays of December, December 10, and 17, 2016, Check out social media outlets (below) for confirmation.

Beware, Chicago! Notice the list of flagship locations that have closed since macy took over. Shoppers aren't buying what they're selling, so now they liquidate the assets. This scenario is reminiscent of what has happened at Sears. The downward spiral continues.

Kaufmann's and other regional department stores were part of the fabric of their communities; macy, not so much. If these developers understand the Kaufmann's name still has cachet, why can't the board of directors and executives at Herald Square realize that Marshall Field's would be massively successful even after all these years?

The thing that really upsets me about Macy's and the possible impending closure of Minneapolis is that they seem to damage everything they touch. I really, really want to shop at Macy's. I want to support them, but I seldom find anything worth buying. If you can believe it I remember there was a time when Macy's actually was an upper middle class department store. But when I go into their stores, they're messy, dirty, you have to hunt down someone to help you and a fair majority of the merchandise is something I could get cheaper at Target. Half of shopping is atmosphere and that is why you walk into places like Nordstrom and Saks and Neimans and you see clean stores and compelling merchandise. Not everyone can afford to shop there and I get that. But that is what made places like Marshall Field's special...the stores were clean, inviting, special and no matter what your budget you could find something. When you walked in there you knew you were in a special place. You want to know why Macy's isn't doing well or why they need to close stores? The answer is simple...they don't listen to their customers. You would think that after the closing of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th downtown store they'd take a look at say....gee what are we doing wrong here? It is possible to run a profitable downtown store, but you have to give people a reason to shop there. The merchandise needs to be compelling and fresh and ever changing. I applaud Macy's and their team for their stewardship of the Wanamaker Organ and their commitment to that location, but beyond that, Macy's has downgraded Marshall Fields in Chicago and clearly now they're about to decimate the Minneapolis store. To be honest with you, I'm not sure why they don't use Center City Philadelphia as an example of what Pittsburgh and Minneapolis could have been...a mixed use building with a very profitable Macy's operating on its lower floors. I can understand the need to downsize Minneapolis, but why not renovate it and keep the first 4 or 5 floors open and the auditorium and 12th floor. Fill the remaining place with residential apartments or office space and then those people would probably shop in that very store. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this one out. But the bean counters in Cincinnati will never get it. They don't understand the concept of spending money to make money. It's all about a quick buck. I'm sorry for the people who work in Minneapolis. For me I think this will just strengthen my resolve to support Lord and Taylor, Boscov's and Nordstrom...so in summation this is a sad day. If I lived in Minnesota I would run to this store to enjoy it this holiday season. I'm hoping they'll still be open into late January so I can fly out and see it one last time. Shame Macy's doesn't realize the gold they have. This will be the end of an era...so sad.

Yeah...the slow murder of downtown shopping environments by a visionless, yet once great chain. Between Amazon and the fear of Wall Street, Macy's has chosen the path of no resistance and no desire to re-imagine what it can be. If you can't make it work in a downtown like Minneapolis, then you're not even trying. This is what 35 years of MBA-think has done to once great American businesses.

Just as suspected...flagship Minneapolis Macy*s to close...I started my work (first job out of college) with Target Corporation, then Dayton-Hudson Corporation in the buying office on the sixth floor of this building. [ It was also the HQ of Marshall Field's in the 1990s through 2006 ] I still work for Target about 18 years later, just a few blocks down the mall at Target Plaza.

BLACK FRIDAY: Special thanks to everyone who helped make our Black Friday activities on State Street a huge success. I am especially appreciative of Gail, Gayle, and Alfred, Renee, and of course never forgetting Gloria. Our message resonated during the two hours we were out there (from 11:30 AM to 1:45 PM). Photos from the event will be forthcoming. Will be out there again today from at least 11:30 AM until after 1:00 PM.

"Black Friday in Chicago always brings hordes of deal-seekers to downtown State Street shopping district. The term Black Friday arose in the 1980s, but State Street, that ï¿½great street,ï¿½ has been a shopping mecca since the days of the great department stores. What about the stores of holidays past, the ones that are no longer around?

Starting it all, Field, Leiter, and Co., the predecessor of the legendary Marshall Fieldï¿½s, moved into its ï¿½marble palaceï¿½ store at State and Washington in 1868. In the century and a half since then, scores of grand department stores and retailers have occupied huge chunks of real estate along the mile of State Street within the Loop.

Back in the day, department stories really had ï¿½bargain basementsï¿½ and..."

On our Facebook page there is the whole sequence of store windows by Macy's on State Street for the 2016 holiday season. The first two windows are along Randolph to the corner at State Street and appear to promote holiday fashion. Then along State Street there is the traditional theme of windows. Finally, The corner window at State and Washington is treated as two separate windows, each promoting fashions at Macy's for the holiday season. I would say these are better than some years, perhaps not as good as some other years. The artistry and craft by those who did the windows is great--but please restrain yourself and criticism--you don't know what sort of limited budget these talented people had to work with. That said, I still miss the magical windows of Marshall Field and Company.

Please join us at State and Washington Streets under the great clock from 11:30 a.m.ï¿½1 p.m. (and beyond?) this Friday AND Saturday, November 25 & 26, 2016, ï¿½Black Friday and Saturday". You can join us in distributing some pin-on buttons and bookmark flyers in support of our case. There will also be a few protest signs with which people can pose, continuing our ï¿½Selfies Protest Rallyï¿½ from last yearï¿½s holiday season and this past September.

PLEASE NOTE: please do not post any "regrets" about being unable to attend i.e. "wish I could butï¿½" type comments until after the event occurs. Such comments before the event will be removed and posted at a later date.

This is an excellent opportunity for us to make our case for Marshall Field's return in front of the media who may stop by, as they did last year.

Your presence would be an immense help as we hope and work, little by little, to have Marshall Field's restored to State Street in name, ethos, and style.

While itï¿½s not required, it is recommended that if you plan to come, please RSVP. Sometimes weather or unforeseen activities on State Street mean we have to relocate nearby where we make our stand for Fieldï¿½s. If we know that you are coming and we have contact info, we can forward any unlikely last minute changes to you. If you have further questions either in advance or even during the 90 minutes we will be on State Street, please respond to this email, or call area code THREE ONE TWO DASH 927 dash 4424.

Photos from our previous activities on Saturday, November 5, 2016 can be found by scrolling down our blog at http://www.fieldsfanschicago.org/blog/ Thank you to all who helped make it a success, and especially Lucie and Gloria.

We are also especially thankful for the support of Gail, Gayle, and Alfred in providing the pin-on buttons that we distribute on State Street. Thank you so very much.

If you would like to contribute money to help us continue our pin-on buttons this holiday season, please also respond to this email or call AREA CODE THREE ONE TWO dash 927 dash 4424 for details. If we cannot take your call, please leave a message and someone will return your call ASAP.

We expect that we will repeat these activities at the time, at least 11:30 a.m.ï¿½1 p.m. on the first three Saturdays of December, December 3, 10, and 17, 2016, Check out social media outlets (below) for confirmation.

The big problem is the CEO didn't listen to what the customers wanted--and his arrogance has come back to bite the company where it hurts the most. Wonder if all the "experts" who were so excited that macy*fication could save a few dollars on shopping bags and advertising are now so thrilled that millions have been lost by dwindling sales and profits. How much have sales and stock prices fallen the past few years?

There are macy stores in almost every mall everywhere; the stores truly are nothing special and offer no compelling reason for shoppers to visit.

The third quarter numbers are in, and they are not encouraging: Macyï¿½s sales and profits both slid.

Its sales were off 4.2 percent, marking the seventh straight quarterly decline. Its profit of $17 million sounds impressive until we learn that it was $118 million a year ago; shares dropped from 36 cents to a nickel.

The Macyï¿½s Thanksgiving Day Parade is two weeks from today

Macyï¿½s is making its workers show up on Thanksgiving. It did so last yearï¿½for the first timeï¿½but this year it is opening two hours earlier. This is yet another sign that it is both ethically and financially challenged.

Perhaps--just perhaps--if the CEO of macy had listened to what customers wanted, the company wouldn't be in this predicament. This analysis suggests bringing back much of what has been taken away and which made the regional department stores unique. A cookie cutter store is fine if one is looking for basic items, like towels or socks, and discount prices; this model works for Kohl's and Target but not so much for macy.

We can only hope that common sense prevails and the incoming CEO gives shoppers what they want.

[ Macy's is closing the former Meier and Frank flagship that was massively remodeled into a smaller store and hotel complex not too many years ago. May point to reconsideration of the Minneapolis flagship and others.]

Some notes from the Macy's Inc. conference call; check Macysinc.com later today to listen to the actual call and develop your own impressions.

- Despite a drop in sales, it sounds like Macy's, Inc is holding its own, overall. With Marshall Field's State Street in mind, Macy's and Bloomingdale's stores that are geared to tourism performed as well as typical stores. In previous quarters, there were problems due reduced exchange rates with the dollar reducing sales to tourists from international destinations.

- Portland, OR (former Meier and Frank flagship) to close after Christmas.

- Three categories of stores for leveraging real estate value:

1) FLAGSHIPS Specifically, a. NYC Herald Square/34th Street, 2. Union Square (where Mens Store across the street/former Liberty House) will be merged into main flagship; 3. State Street; 4. Minneapolis. They expect to have plans for all four in the coming two years, but 34th Street will take the longest because it is the most complicated.

2) THE 100 STORES THAT WILL BE CLOSING AFTER CHRISTMAS

3) NEW ALLIANCE with Brookfield Properties. Look at using parts or all of current Macy's stores. An example they used is taking a Macy's Furniture store and consolidating it back into a nearby Macy's and redeveloping the furniture store. (Woodfield and Oak Brook in Chicagoland, as well as others, fit this description. They never specifically mentioned Chicagoland stores in this regard.)

During one of the questions, an analyst asked if the Michigan Avenue store might be remodeled to match performance of other Michigan Avenue competitors. Macy's, Inc. CFO Karen Hoguet asked to clarify if he meant State Street because Michigan Avenue already had some remodeling relatively recently. He confirmed Michigan Avenue. Hoguet responded that Michigan Avenue was doing fine. She understandably had a touch of incredulity in her tone and I agree with her. Yes, I think it would be doing better as Field's, but Water Tower performs well, in my humble opinion, better than State Street. It's always busy, closer to hotels, and since the store is only 40 years old, it's a much more efficient building.

-----

To me this makes it more probable that Downtown Minneapolis will close:

I was at State Street last week after the Cubs celebration. The store was actually busy, but that was about it . This years decorations keep getting worse and worse. The wonderful Tiffany dome atrium =has cardboard ornaments hanging like K Mart and target would do. The first floor main aisle always with excellent decorations even for 8 years under Macy's are stark and void and just down tight ugly.

They keep cost cutting more and more. They are selling now the nice downtown Portland store that was downsized and renovated. They continue to sell and close profitable stores. They are retreating like Sears, and yet they still continue to make profits.

The only way now to save this great company is for them to be sold or go private. These investor activists all they want is a short term profit and if it means the eventual end of the company so be it.

Don't look for Macy's to spend any money rebranding stores to Field's The only hope for this company is for it to be sold, go private and then focus on its business of retail and not a real estate company.

Despite the former Kaufmann's/Macy's in downtown Pittsburgh having closed, civic organizations are trying to keep the store windows and visits with Santa going. Some of the windows will even extend beyond the former department store. Meanwhile, I heard that some of the store plaques from the former Famous-Barr & May Department Stores HQ in St Louis have stolen. The remainder have been removed by the owner to protect them for the time being. When Macy's occupied the store, they covered up the Famous-Barr plaques with Macy's plaques. The Macy's plaques were removed when they left, again exposing the Famous-Barr plaques. Just posting all this here because perhaps it's a suggestion of what could happen if Macy's closes any former Marshall Field and Company stores.

Macy's, Inc will release its 3rd Quarter results tomorrow morning. A conference call will be streamed over the web beginning at 9:00 am Chicago Time. Just follow the links from http://www.macysinc.com/

There could be some information about the future of the State Street store and others. So stay tuned.

Thanks to all who made our "Selfies Rally" a success yesterday. We especially thank Gloria, and Lucie for making it all happen!

We were out for about 80 minutes yesterday. the day that the holiday windows and the Great Tree wer unveiled at State Street. We distributed close to 200 bookmark flyers and a few dozen pin-on buttons. About three dozen posed for photos, some of which are posted below.

We look forward to similar activities on on Black Friday as well as on Saturdays after Thanksgiving through December 17, 2016. Please keep in touch with this web site for more details on exact times as they become available.

Here's to the once and future Marshall Field's!

All photos ï¿½2016 FieldsFansChicago & Jim McKay Permission for publication granted as long as there is a photo credit.

Apparently activist investor Starboard thinks that they bought into Macy's too soon. This is the group that wanted Macy's to parts of and re-organize its real estate portfolio to make more money for stockholders. Possibilities were and are being considered for a number of stores including Chicago's State Street store.

Macy's announces three of the upcoming store closures part of a sale or five stores to General Growth. One is a former Dayton's they operated for four years as Marshall Field's in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Dear Field's Fans Chicago and other Friends supporting the return of Marshall Fieldï¿½s to State Street.

At noon, this Saturday, November 5, 2016, Macyï¿½s will unveil the Great Tree in the Walnut Room, the holiday windows, and in-store decor at the State Street store that once was and we hope again will be Marshall Fieldï¿½s.

This is an excellent opportunity for us to make our case for Marshall Field's return in front of the media who may stop by, as they did last year..

Please join us at State and Washington Streets under the great clock from 11:30 a.m.ï¿½1 p.m. (and beyond?) this Saturday, November 5, 2016. You can join us in distributing some pin-on buttons and bookmark flyers in support of our case. There will also be a few protest signs with which people can pose, continuing our ï¿½Selfies Protest Rallyï¿½ from last yearï¿½s holiday season and this past September.

Your presence would be an immense help as we hope and work, little by little, to have Marshall Field's restored to State Street in name, ethos, and style.

While itï¿½s not required, it is recommended that if you plan to come, please RSVP. Sometimes weather or unforeseen activities on State Street mean we have to relocate nearby where we make our stand for Fieldï¿½s. If we know that you are coming and we have contact info, we can forward any unlikely last minute changes to you. If you have further questions either in advance or even during the 90 minutes we will be on State Street, please email jjmckay (AT) me (DOT) com, or call 312.927.4424.

If you would like to contribute money to help us continue our pin-on buttons this holiday season, please also email jjmckay (AT) me (DOT) com or call 312.927.4424 for details. If we cannot take your call, please leave a message and someone will return your call ASAP.

Next week, there will be more details about how you can help bring back Marshall Fieldï¿½s during similar events this holiday season. As always, we ask you that participate at our following social media outlets:

This Web Blog/Guestbook that you are reading: www.fieldsfanschicago.org/blog/index.html

I agree with you, Phil. I don't think State Street will close. However, I do think, based on comments made by Alderman Riley last November in the Chicago Sun-Times, that there's the possibility that the store could shrink with even some of the rooms on the first floor of Wabash being repurposed as lobbies or something similar for access to spaces on other floors. Or, as Riley said, it's possible some street level spaces could go to other tenants. Whatever Macy's does, it would have to some degree involve Alderman Riley for his approval and he said he was open.

I'm still not worried about state street. When Macy's just published their top doors, there was Herald square then state street and then water tower. MINNEAPOLIS store should be really worried. Plus Minneapolis is a crappy market, ralph lauren opened and closed Bloomingdale's, Saks, Neiman's all closed. However, Saks and Neiman's were in that horrid gavidea commons, possibly the dumbest mall ever after chicago place.

Looks like the 'magic' continues as macy moves to sell its downtown Minneapolis location. Don't believe for a minute that they are going to operate a smaller store. The exact same scenario played out in Pittsburgh. They took what was Kaufmann's most profitable store and ran it into the ground by doing nothing to attract shoppers. Stocking poor quality, overpriced merchandise while cutting staff and building maintenance isn't going draw customers. If Minneapolis is one of their 'flagship' stores, what does the future hold for the Chicago landmark?

Macy's closed similar flagships in Atlanta (two of them, Davisons and Rich's), Pittsburgh, Houston, Filene's in Boston, St Louis, and of course St Paul. No surprise...I suspect that it will likely happen in Minneapolis as well.

Thiis is how the end progresses. Note the comments that incorrectly say that Marshall Field's took over Dayton's. it was the opposite, of course, but then Dayton's converted to the Marshall Field's name.

The inside cover of the November 2016 Chicago Magazine (a tronc publication) has a full page ad for this year's unveiling of the Great Treen in the Walnut Room at Macy's on State Street. The date will be Saturday, November 5 at noon. That's the Saturday after Halloween, which has been typical in recent years. The ad says that the event will be "starring Aloe Blacc."

Presumably this year's windows will also be unveiled. After the decent job they did on teh flower show last spring, one of their better efforts, I wonder if they will also do a better job on the windows and other in-store decorations as well.

Yes, We will be out there on State Street under the clock from at least 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. More details to follow.

"Macy's is staying committed to Thanksgiving Day shopping, saying it'll open an hour earlier this year.

The company plans to open at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving, with most Macy's stores closing at 2 a.m., and then reopening at 5 a.m. Friday. It cited "ongoing customer interest in shopping on Thanksgiving, both at Macy's and at many other retailers."

The department store chain has been open on Thanksgiving evening since 2013, but had remained open through the night."

The Field's Fans Blog has been on hiatus for four weeks, from Wednesday, September 21--Wednesday, October 19, 2016. Thank you for your support and well wishes. You will see some items from this period that were submitted via email or Facebook. Postings during this time period did not appear until about 9:30 am, Chicago Time on Wedneday, October 19, 2016.

I MISS Marshall Fields. Every year we say we're going Christmas shopping at Marshall Field's State Street store (just can't bring myself to call is Macy's). Back in 1970 was my first trip to the store where my boyfriends Mom bought my gloves and purse for the prom. And I still have them. The Walnut Room may look the same but is just not the same at Christmas.

When did Marshall Field's open and close it budget store on State Street?

If memory serves me Henry Selfridge came up with the concept and Marshall Field's had the first budget floor. I believe for a time it was called the downstairs store. If I recall correctly it was turned into a housewares floor in the 80s prior to the major renovation in the 90s of the whole store including the enclosure of the atrium. Anyone have any additional information or pictures?

Marking ten years since that very sad day in Chicago and world history alike, when Marshall Field's was officially converted to Macy's.

Although on short notice, we decided to conduct one of our "Selfie Rallies" as we did last holiday season so as to allow supporters to show up (on very short notice, if at all planned) on a flexible schedule. We all thank Tim, Aaron, Gloria, and Lucie for making it all happen!

We were out for about two hours on Friday and distributed close to 200 bookmark flyers and a few dozen pin-on buttons. While Saturday afternoons in September rarely come close to matching the number of people out on State Street that you find during the holiday season, we did speak with over 250 who received our bookmark flyers. Close to 100 pin-on buttons were also distributed. About three dozen posed for photos, some of which are posted below.

We look forward to similar activities on Saturday afternoons in November and December during the holiday season. Please keep in touch with this web site for more details on exact times as they become available.

Here's to the once and future Marshall Field's!

All photos ï¿½2016 FieldsFansChicago & Jim McKay Permission for publication granted as long as there is a photo credit.

From a month ago...story speculating what might happen if the River Oak's Macy's (built as Marshall Field's) closes. This is something that myself, "mikea" and others have discussed in the past, along with the likes of Louis Joliet, Stratford, Spring Hill, and Northbrook and/or Hawthorn.

It seems the problems the Macy's is going through will really not end until it is either bought up by another company or goes private.

Investment and wall street analysts keep pushing the company to increase profits even though it is profitable. They want higher profits every quarter . If that means selling and closing stores until Macy's is a online only company than that is what they want. Target was forced to sell their department stores to satisfy investors and wall street analysts.

Right now converting back to regional stores would cost the company millions in new investment in rebranding and hiring more associates, along with increased cost of operations. Theses wall street and investor groups would not tolerate this added expense.

They have some problems that are out of their control

1) weather the last year has not been normal for winter and fall and pring

2) International tourism down due to the dollar

3) The new millennial generation does not shop for clothes and fashion as earlier generations did

4) The rise of outlet /offprice stores and the internet sales

5) Macy's reluctance to change to more different merchandise and localize the stores more to local tastes

The biggest though is the hard push by investor activist groups and wall street for higher profits and lower costs at any cost to the customer/and the overall long term health of the company.

I enjoyed meeting Field's Fans under the clock yesterday evening to once again rally for the return of Chicago's favorite store. The continued support and comments of passers-by is always encouraging and hits home a point--CUSTOMERS STILL MISS MARSHALL FIELD'S AFTER TEN YEARS! I didn't get any comments like, "Why don't you give if up after all this time?" In fact, a few people who never saw us before told me, "How come it took you ten years to get out here? You should have done it long ago!"

Dear Department Store Lovers: The following words are general thoughts and observations offered with great respect for all people concerned including present Macyï¿½s management. It is our hope and strong desire that there be a sense of encouragement for everyone involved with shopping and managing these great stores we love including the world class Marshall Field & Company ! We respectfully thank you for reading.

First of all, many thanks to all of the people who have offered respectful and insightful suggestions. The warm,caring ,supportive and graceful expressions of desire to make the full-service department store shine include many great accomplishments put forth thanks to this site. From the foundations of Mr.McKayï¿½s work to manage this site in a classy way, to the creation of Ms.Gayleï¿½s beautiful book, to the costume displays and all the goodness put forth in honorable ways that make this site so wonderful. Letï¿½s hope that the pathway of this site continues in the classy and warm ways always associated with the shoppers,management and staff that continue to try to keep the great spirit of service,style and sophistication of nameplates alive everywhere ! Thanks to family for keeping up with what news there is here. Respectfully,thank you again.

Today,we mark the tenth anniversary of the merger that created the loss of Marshall Fieldï¿½s and many of the other beloved May Department Stores Company department stores around our nation . We are also noting the THIRTIETH anniversary (the year,not the exact day), of the loss of Bamberger's,as we understand it,one of the most successful divisions of the original R.H.Macy & Company !

We dearly miss the full service department store experience of the fabulous in-store restaurants,and the full compliment of in-store services and departments that we could depend every day. We also remember the time when we could be assisted by merchants, rather than cashiers in-store. It was great to see happy co-workers that approached our sales with a team approach. It was nice to not be hounded about signing up for the an in-store credit card multiple times in a day. In addition, we felt comfortable knowing that the stores were clean,comfortable and most certainly very much an inclusive part of the community.

Incidentally, we saw the loss of Bambergerï¿½s back then as much more than a nameplate change thirty years ago and thatï¿½s why we were concerned when the name changes occurred ten years ago today! We were worried that a major change of these stores would lead to the kind of things guests encountered during the Bambergerï¿½s to Macyï¿½s change. We experienced the loss of many of the different departments, beloved department store restaurants and most of all, the specialized way of doing business and offering service the Bambergerï¿½s way had changed. We had always cherished the many co-worker merchants that we knew by name.After Bamberger's,they had to handle the service process differently... In fact, it just seemed that the stores we loved that were known to us as Bambergerï¿½s were close to our hearts because they offered personalized service and the people worked as a team,like family. We loved the localized management and buying and service offerings. After all, the name Bambergerï¿½s, although owned by Macyï¿½s was NOT Macyï¿½s. It was Bambergerï¿½s ! We have many specific types of examples but again, our aim is to encourage and show respect to all concerned.

We thought it was amazing that the Bambergerï¿½s stores that we dearly loved were actually owned (since around 1930 incidentally by MACYï¿½S !) Bambergerï¿½s management were allegedly allowed to run their stores as a subsidiary with offices in the Newark,New Jersey flagship store.The store that began WOR radio by the way !

REGARDING MACYï¿½S (pre-1995) We loved the traditions of the downtown store although we did not have a wonderful restaurant like the Marshall Fieldï¿½s Walnut Room, Strawbridge & Clothierï¿½s Corinthian Room or the John Wanamaker Crystal Tea Room, we did have restaurants to go to throughout the main store. We also enjoyed the other department such as the leased piano department, culinary department including a butcher shop,bakery and gourmet deparment and while very busy,we were thankful for the traditions !

Essentially, what we are marking here is the tenth anniversary of much more than just a name change. After all what is in a name ? We are marking the change in the very fabric of what these once proud nameplates stood for. It just seemed like we were finding more and more reasons not to shop the stores the way we once did because these stores were not and are not the same stores that promised what so many of us took for granted in a department store. Now, ten years later,further complicating some of our stores on the East Coast possibly throughout the country are having their square footage reduced by the addition of Macyï¿½s discounting concept called ï¿½Macyï¿½s Backstage.ï¿½ Considering that there was a fabulous store in the New York/New Jersey area called Sternï¿½s,the discount department store with a family flavor and allegedly Federatedï¿½s division of the year just before it was closed, we canï¿½t understand it and would love to better understand what happened considering that Century 21 is in the former flagship of Sternï¿½s in New Jersey. What do you think of this development?

Now the positive: We believe in this day of shopping changes and the millennial desire for experiences that Macyï¿½s Inc. is ahead of the game when it comes to bringing these back into the store. While we know that this department store group offers the kind of things like fireworks,restaurants in some stores ,flower shows and other types of promotions, isnï¿½t it true that the biggest thing that these stores have going for them are the multi-generational respected nameplates and their traditions that were a beloved part of their cities. Macyï¿½s Inc. should be applauded for maintaining the Walnut Room in Chicago, Oak Room in Minneapolis, and most certainly the Wanamaker organ & the light show in Philadelphia. We believe that the restaurant across from the pipe organ should be reopened along with many other full-service restaurants throughout the country be re-opened !

Here is a question.Thinking back,it looked like more people were not marking time with a tap dance or a box step when watching the coverage on the news on this day 10 years ago.Were they ? Let's hope that will be the year of re-dedication to the local department store traditions of America starting with one of the greatest known throughout the world...the amazing and legendary Marshall Field's !

By the way, although Macyï¿½s has embraced the Thanksgiving Day Parade, it is actually a Bambergerï¿½s innovation.

The legacy of the local department stores that mean so much to multiple generations of families EXPERIENCES & TRADITIONS that are valued not only in the pocketbook but in the heart ! We hope that the future brings great excitement and experiences to look forward to.Cordially,with respect,we thank you.

Mr Gennette would be wise to undo some of the changes made by his arrogant predecessor. Bringing in Starbucks isn't going to help. Perhaps restoring some of the beloved regional stores with their traditions, marketing and merchandising. Do what department stores did back in the day to attract customers--make themselves a destination. The ill-conceived plan to force a coast-to-coast cookie cutter store into numerous regions has been an abject failure. Here's a suggestion, Mr Gennette--give the customers what THEY want, and it's painfully obvious they DON'T want macy!

Perhaps someone could write a book on "The Misadventures of Macy" which would document how one person could be the single handed cause of the closure of hundreds of department stores, the loss of thousands of jobs, the cost of millions of dollars in tax revenue, and the destruction of popular shopping venues. In retrospect, his legacy will be the massive destruction of iconic department stores across the nation. In so many cities, the local stores were part of the history and culture. Looking at recent news articles and reader comments, the New York store featured in a vintage holiday movie hasn't been a success in other markets as attested by its continuing decline in market share. His grand vision of saving a few dollars on shopping bags has been decimated by losing billions in sales and in falling stock prices.

Good luck and best wishes to Mr Gennette! If he truly wants to "save the company," he should restore what was so callously thrown away.

Online shopping has hurt traditional retailers, but macy does nothing to attract shoppers. One wonders if the "genius" hadn't converted all the popular regional stores (including those owned by Federated) into macy if so many store closings and major job losses would have been necessary.

Where: Under the Great Marshall Field Clock, State & Washington Streets.

For more information:
Phone: Jim McKay, (Area Code Three One Two) Nine Two Seven -Four Four Two Four
Email: jjmckay AT me.com
Web: www.FieldsFansChicago.org
Instagram: FieldsFansChicago
Twitter: @FieldsFansChgo

Facebook: facebook.com/groups/fieldsfanschicago/

WHAT: The grass roots group, FieldsFansChicago will mark the 10th anniversary of the loss of Chicagoï¿½s Marshall Fieldï¿½s with a ï¿½Selfies Rallyï¿½ to support the return of the internationally renowned emporium experience.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN: All who support the return of Marshall Field and Company are encouraged to stop by under the Great Marshall Fieldï¿½s Clock at State and Washington and pose for a selfie holding a protest sign supporting Fieldï¿½s return. These selfies will be posted to our world-wide social media channels.

Past ï¿½Selfies Ralliesï¿½ supporting the return of Marshall Fieldï¿½s featured hundreds underneath the Great Clock at State and Washington at holidays and also at civic events such as the Chicago St Patrickï¿½s Day Parades and Chicago Pride Parade. Last holidayï¿½s Selfies Rally for Fieldï¿½s featured over 120 selfies featuring over 200 participants and received global response. Please see http://www.fieldsfanschicago.org/blog/s4s.html

WHO IS FIELD'S FANS CHICAGO? Fieldï¿½s Fans Chicago is a grass roots organization supporting the return of Marshall Field and Company to Chicagoï¿½s State Street. Just some of its activities include

- SPEAK AT MACYï¿½S MEETINGS: Since 2008, making the case for Marshall Fieldï¿½s Return to Macyï¿½s stockholders, directors, CEO, and senior execs in Cincinnati at the conclusion of each annual meeting.

- FLYER & BUTTON DISTRIBUTION: Since 2006, distribution of over 175,000 bookmark flyers and 145,000 pin on buttons supporter the return of Marshall Fieldï¿½s to State Street.

- RALLIES featuring up to 400 participants on State Street.

MEDIA COVERAGE REPRESENTING TOURISTS, SHOPPERS featured in over 1,000 publications--BBC World Service, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, US Network News Coverage on CBS News, ABC News, New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, all Chicago local news shows, and many others world-wide.

2,000 SURVEYED on the street from 2009-2012. 4 of 5 prefer Marshall Field's.

Jim McKay is the primary spokesperson for Fieldï¿½s Fans Chicago and an expert on the switch from Marshall Field's to Macy. McKay has over 25 years experience in Design, Architectural, Community Affairs, branding, and retail consulting. He has taught at major universities including University of Illinois, UIC, and Illinois Institute of Technology.

FieldsFansChicago is solely responsible for the content of this press release. It is not connected with nor endorsed by Marshall Fieldï¿½s, Macy's, Inc., or others.

We can all speculate which stores Macy's will close. I doubt many if any wI'll be former Field's locations. Field's owned all their stores except Mayfair, river oaks and water tower. That counts for alot. If you own the real estate, stores think twice before closing. Even laggard stores like spring hill are owned and that mall is under a 45 million dollar rehab.

Field's was Co developer of water tower, so they probably hAve a gazillion lease.

Hi to all visitors fieldsfanschicago.org forum. I want to share with you the latest news about MTV Video Music Awards.

Since MTV revived its highest honor ï¿½ the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award ï¿½ at the networkï¿½s annual Video Music Awards in 2011, it has gone to Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce and Kanye West, a lineup of artists who, from the beginning of their careers, understood the power of a well-executed music video.

Thatï¿½s partly because of their ages: Like MTV, Ms. Spears, Mr. Timberlake and Beyonce were born in 1981, and Mr. West was born in 1977. Theyï¿½re old enough to have lived through the era in which MTV dominance was integral to a pop starï¿½s ascendance. Even if the channelï¿½s relationship with music was in decline during the peak of their own careers, they understood its legacy, and executed top-notch videos accordingly.

short, but interesting story about Macy's, and it's market share in the St. Louis Metro area. What's noteworthy here is he fact that the article reports that Dillard's and Nordstrom gained in this market while Macy's has lost share. I say this as back in 1984 one of they key reasons why ADG sold Stix,Baer and Fuller, to Dillards was their loss of market share to Famous-Barr.

Macyï¿½s recently announced its decision to close nearly 100 stores across the United States, suggesting that the still-growing influence of e-commerce is lessening the need for a strong brick and mortar presence. The company did not indicate which stores it would be closing, stating that the company would announce its decisions at a later date. We at 1010data didnï¿½t want to wait so, using our Local Market Intelligence (LMI) product, we examined where Macyï¿½s business has declined the most and, if possible, attempted to understand some of the drivers behind their decline.

I am not surprised about the sales decline in St. Louis. At first I was impressed with Macy's when they took over from Famous-Barr. However, they have let their stores go downhill the past five years, most notably downsizing and then closing the downtown store. Macy's has also closed three other stores in the St. Louis suburbs.

Last Christmas season the Macy's stores did not feel festive. They have overdone the "Letters to Santa" campaign and need a fresh theme.

I really hope Chicago finds a way to get Marshall Field's back. Well-run downtown department stores are a treasure.

Macy's opened a second Milwaukee store over four years ago at Southdale. Mayfair Macy's is no doubt impacted by Nordstrom which is actually already open, not under construction as Phil indicated. As in Chicago, a certain segment of Marshall Field shoppers, not to mention staff, have moved to Nordstrom. On top of that, both Macy's competes with Boston Store locations that were recently remodeled. Boston Store is the brand Carson's parent Bon Ton used in Milwaukee. Bon Ton is co-headquartered in Milwaukee. Hometown store. I'm sure those two competitors have taken market from Macy's, but if any store closes, I would expect the new one and not Mayfair to close.

Biggest Macy's decrease is milwaukee, that would be Field's at Mayfair, Field's did not have any other stores there. Ma fair was one of Field's top doors. Nordstrom is now building a huge store there. Macy's junk doesn't cut it.

I just donï¿½t understand this at all. So Backstage is part of a macy store but has its own entrance doors and buying team. Last Act is located in a macy store but is just marked down regular merchandise from the store, different than regular "clearance" merchandise but adjacent to it. Will their numerous coupons be accepted at Backstage, or will they provide different promotions? Shoppers are already upset that coupons are accepted on clearance items but not on Last Act. To make room for Backstage, macy will have to cut back on its regular stock items. With all the discount and clearance sections, how does macy think it's going to promote itself as a "premium" department store? Will better merchandise lines want to be associated with a discounter?

Somehow this will play out like the fiasco at JCPenney where the store lost its way and shoppers moved on. The complex pricing games and unfamiliar merchandise pushed JCP toward bankruptcy. I also think it's insulting to other regions of the country when macy picked the names "Last Act" and "Backstage" which are clearly references to New York.

Memo to macy: Clearly your grand plan to bring convert all the regional department stores to an outpost of New York has been an epic fail. The rest of the nation is NOT in love with or impressed by your New York "magic." Give the shoppers what THEY want!

Milwaukee, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis are among those with the steepest decline in sales in the past couple years. There's a map. The green areas seem to be doing best if I'm reading that right. Chicago was yellow which I think means so so.

perhaps an appeal to "raised in Evanston" Jeremy Piven to consider reviving his PBS 'Mister Selfridge' in a PREquel, going back to the Marshall Field 'roots', which then might in turn garner enough interest that the Weston Family Group that restored Selfridges might be enticed to do the same for Field's

went on line to do my periodic search trying to track down any lead that might take me to a magic place where some possible substitute for any of what were Marshall Field's unique comestibles available on the 7th floor Food Court - might yet be found.

and happened to come across this web-site.

spent more time than I had reading posts triggering a plethora of fond memories.

not one to usually succumb to such nostalgia, but as most here would no doubt agree, Marshall Fields 'the special exception' to most rules.

Already a loyal Fields advocate for years, was so taken aback my first trip to London, and stepping into Selfridges, the imposing columns so familiar, as was so much else; my initial reaction having been one of: 'oh, THIS must be where Field's got it's ideas and inspiration,' that is until the greater shock reading on one of the larger posters in their own restaurant area, that it had been the other way round, and Harry Selfridges had been a Marshall Field's man first.

so many posts here with individuals waxing nostalgic about the 'bygone days' harking back to the '60s but not even including THE FAIR, or mention of STOP&SHOP, the up-scale neighbour of HILMANS, the former having the most exotic items that one would have had to go to London or Paris to find.

... the bygone era when Field's still had their 3rd floor "waiting room",

where among other long since obsolete services, one could find BLANK checks from ANY of the cities banks, 'just in case' one had ï¿½run outï¿½ or left their own at home ... this was also a period when even I thought a favourite high school teacher unbelievably 'old fashioned' when she declined an invitation to join my friends & I for lunch at the Walnut Room because [ wait for it ] she had not brought a pair of gloves with her that day ... we might not be flying round in Jetson space-mobiles, but could we possibly be anymore removed from a past which this old man's mind still is not THAT long ago.

What's fascinating about Macy's top 150 doors list is, according to this document, these 150 stores account for about 50% of all of Macy's sales.

James McKay Ernesto: Regarding Northbrook vs Hawthorn or any stores, there's also the consideration of the terms of the leases. In general, one store might be busier but the other may sell fewer but more expensive items. Generally, I hear Northbrook is a more prestigious "A-list" mall while Hawthorne is viewed as "B-tier." More complicated is that Field's fit in well with the class of other stores at Northbrook while Macy's is more in line with the class of stores at Hawthorn. That's a factor why JCP didn't do so well and moved out of Northbrook. I wouldn't be surprised if one of the Macy's closes. That said, I would say that River Oaks, Joliet, Stratford, Spring HIll and the furniture stores near Oak Brook and Woodfield are most vulnerable to closing. Then again, the two furniture stores could be viewed like mattress stores--and heaven knows how all those Mattress Firms co-exist successfully, yet Mattress Firm recently said in the Tribune recently that they do.

It's also good to take a look at stores where Macy's has just given up, stores either slated by corporate for an upcoming closure or lease to expire or just not maintained well.... The 2 stores that come to mind are Stratford and Northbrook. If you go to these locations compared to other better kept stores like Hawthorn or Orland, I think the writing's on the wall for some of these stores, not to mention being in malls that are struggling doesn't help. Sad to see Northbrook in the condition it's in, it was a beautiful store when it opened.

Back in May 2015, after some announcements by Macy's, Inc., myself and others discussed their new concept of "top 150 doors"

Thanks to Ken Allen [ on one of Facebook's historic department stores groups ] who unearthed amongst all the material on Macy's website a list of what these "top 150 doors" are. You will note of former Chicagoland Marshall Fields locations that State Street and Water Tower are in the top tier of the top 150, or "Platinun". Platinum doors are there most profitable stores. Oak Brook is a "Market Leader" which is the next tier of the 150. Then under the category of "other top doors" are Old Orchard and Woodfield. The PDF that is linked below describes the categories a better than I informally have. As I noted last week after the conference calls, these are among the stores I would be shocked if they closed. (Of course, some of you know that I once worked for a discount department store chain and one of their top 10 stores--one of my stores--had to close for very unusual reasons.).

PBS "Chicago Tonight" discussed Macy's possible store closings on August 16. Neil Stern from the retail consulting firm of McMillan Doolittle said likely Macy's will want to get through the holidays and then announce which stores will close. Host Eddie Arruza asked if it was a mistake for Macy's to overtake some of the very legendary department stores. Stern replied that Macy's was growing, but "Now I think they are stuck with a bland sort of centralized kind of store at a time when you want to be more unique." He added, "So that Marshall Field's asset probably would be very valuable to them now to bring back some of the things that Marshall Field's did well, which was a unique store, unique experience, great customer service. I think Macy's has lost that along the way." Stern pointed out that his firm has worked with Mariano's, which has added piano bars etc. in an effort to get people to leave their computers and come into the store.

It seems like people are noticing what customers have been trying to say for 10 years.

It is fascinating to watch Macy's most recent announcement about store closings and the strong reaction in the media to them. Focusing on cutting costs through store closings will leave a structure of fixed costs spread across less stores overall.

In other news my tribute page to Marshall Field is now up and running!

Store Wars
Over the next three years, New York Cityâ€™s vaunted department stores are reimagining themselves for the future of luxury shoppingâ€”and will soon face stiff competition from a couple of out-of-towners: Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom WSJ.COM|BY CHRISTINA BINKLEY http://www.wsj.com/articles/store-wars-1470674201

Below was my comment on the CNBC site regarding the closing of the 100 Macy's stores.

"Keeping local department store brands along with their quality service and merchandise (eg. Marshall Fields in Chicago) instead of re-branding and dumbing down everything to Macy's, would have averted much of the damage that has occurred to Macy's over the past 10 years! A Macy's "everywhere" does not make for a unique shopping experience!"

Thanks for the correction. I did a little digging and found that that the building that currently houses the Macy's Men's Store was constructed in 1974 as the San Francisco flagship of Hawaii-based Liberty House. Liberty House had previously acquired J. Magnin. Perhaps you are saying that the site was previously a J. Magnin store. In 1984, Liberty House closed the store as it retreated from the West Coast to concentrate on the Pacific. Macy's ended up purchasing it and putting the men's departments there, much in the same way as Field's had moved its men's departments to the southwest corner of Washington and Wabash. Now, as Field's had done several decades ago, Macy's is bringing the Men's departments back into the main Union Square store which incorporates I. Magnin's 1940's flagship. Here's a link to a photo of when the Macy's Mens Store at Union Square was Liberty House and another as it is recently.

Jim, slight correction regarding your Aug 11th post. The SF Union Square stand-alone Men's Store in negotiation for sale is not the former I Magnin flagship, but rather the former Joseph Magnin store (easily confused, but different establishments).

The former Joseph Magnin (currently Macy's Men's Store annex) is at 120 Stockton---across the street eastward from the main store. The former I Magnin flagship is north of the main store, at the corner of Stockton & Geary--facing Union Square. There is no space between the latter two structures, and I believe when Macy's purchased I Magnin, they installed doorways between the two.

Lundgren's retail philosphy of bigger is better is shrinking and failing. I miss Marshall Fields. I'm crossing my fingers that Macy's new CEO will reverse Lundgren's decision and bring back this retail icon.

It even made the news in England. I am disgusted this man has lasted so long in retail. I think what he did was just as stupid as the marriage between Sears and Kmart. His arrogance, which you can tell he has a great deal of even from pictures, shows he should have been put out to pasture a while ago. Something tells me the board at Macy's is terrified of him.

Heard the news about the store closings. The main problem is what this will do to the malls, the communities where these stores are located. I know especially in CA there are way to many stores close together. I expect a number of Bloomingdales will close too.

I expect Spring Hill, Stratford River Oaks and maybe Joliet will close in this area. Spring Hill Stratford, and River Oaks have been loosing tenents and those malls are going down fast. I would not be surprised if the Bloomingdale's at Medinah and Old Orchard close too.

The rise of Amazon and the less shopping mentality of the younger generation is to blame. I expect more store closing s from Bon-Ton, Nordstrom, Kohls, Dillards, Sears and JC Penney. I just don't know what to expect in the future , if we are going to be a generation that justs sits at home ordering everything online from our computers. The job losses is my biggest concern along with the loss of sales tax revenue for the cities and the states.

Companies have a responsibility to the communitites they serve and I guess Macy's justs does not care at all.

Macy's also intends to sell the Union Sqaure Men's Store. The Men's Store at Union Square is adjacent to the San Francisco flagship that once was the I. Magnin flagship. It's sort of like the separate Marshall Field's Mens Store at Washington and Wabash.

Closing 10-20 stores after Christmas is no big deal; closing 100 or 15% of their stores is a big deal. No specific locations yet but I'd expect that Louis Joliet, Spring Hill, Stratford, and Hawthorn, along with Oak Brook Furniture and Woodfield Furniture are among those vulnerable.

Nothing about State Street was mentioned but they will have their conference call at 9 am Chicago time, accessible at http://www.macysinc.com under the ivestors relations section.

Macy's will have a new Chief Legal Officier, Elisa Garcia. She replaces legal officier Dennis Broderick who was with Federated since 1990. Broderick was CLO for Federated's acquisition of R.H. Macy and Co. in 1994 as well as when May Department Stores and Marshall Field's were acquired 11 years ago. So it's a change of the guard.

Garcia comes from Office Depot where she has been since 2007. Before that, she was with Domino's Pizza for seven years.

I guess Macy's no longer has Glamorama. Instead it seems they have something called Fashion's Front Row, now based in NYC. Glamorama used to be a lot of fun in the Twin Cities and in Chicago. Too bad. Remember when the B-52s headlined?

Mark M.: just do a search for branded items at macys . com if you're interested in seeing certain store names--but of course I do not endorse buying them. I believe that you are a fan of Hudson's. Remember that Hudson's, and Dayton's, and certain related intellectual property including branding associated with those two still belong to Target Corporation. That's why hudsons.com and daytons.com still take you to target.com. For reasons that I won't go into, there's other store names that are also not owned by Macy's even though one would think they would be. So except for discussing the fate of the Hudson's Veterans plaque that Macy's inherited when they acquired Northland, I don't think Macy's mentions Hudsons at all. Target remains the curator of Hudson's history.

Regarding Retro Department Stores, it will never be the same without the original, historic downtown stores. Unfortunately, unlike State Street, they can't be brought back. The flagships of these chains have now been repurposed.

Regarding the settlement between Macy's, Inc. and Strategic Marks, it looks like things are now final and in full gear.

Strategic Marksâ€™ http://www.retrodepartmentstores.com now only shows the names as agreed in the settlement: Jordan Marsh, Bullock's, Robinsons, I. Magnin & Co., Joseph Magnin, Bamberger's, Foley's, and May Company. They are selling T-shirts with logos for these stores. They have also removed some other names that they used to show on the site but apparently are with Macy's.

Meanwhile, it appears that the "Heritage Brands" section of macys.com no longer offers the t-shirts and bags that they used to offer for these names. However, they still have the t-shirts, names and bags for Marshall Field's, Filene's, etc. that they have had going back for at least four years.

It's been a few months since I last looked at Macy's site for its tourist stores, but it seems to have some updates. They now do mention Marshal Field's in at least three places but they still seem overall to be reluctant to mention Marshall Field's. The three places they mention Field's is including the "Marshall Field and Company" plaque with the exterior great columns on State Street; a claim that at State Street, some harken back to Marshall Field's days by calling Macy's "Santaland" "Cozy Cloud" (they left out "cottage"; and they tell how Marshall Field commissioned the clocks because people were leaving notes in the cracks of the windows, I assume to confirm meeting up. (I wonder if who ever wrote this realizes that the clock Marshall Field commissioned is not the two that have been there the past hundred years.)

On the one hand, it's a touch better than a few years ago when about the only time they mentioned Marshall Field's was to say that the founder didn't want to build the Burnham Fountain that was eventually added in the 1990s.

The description also drops a line that there is also another Macy's on Michigan Avenue. (Since anyone I know who still shops Macy's just goes there for stuff rather than experience, I guess that it's State Street and the birthplace of the modern department store doesn't really matter since those types just want "stuff"!

On the other hand, the descriptions of other tourist Macy's stores arenâ€™t afraid to mention predecessors. Philadelphia Center City isn't shy at all about mentioning Wanamaker's and discussing it's history, although it's worded such that you would think the store's design by Daniel Turnham was the first of its kind when in fact, it's mostly a clone of Burnham's design originated at Marshall Field's on State Street.

For Boston, they mention that the store used to be the Jordan Marsh flagship.

For Union Square (San Francisco) they mention how the store originated for just 19 years as O'Connor, Moffat, and Company and was converted to Macy's. They also discuss how it expanded in the former I.Magnin flagship, a brand which R.H. Macy & Co. folded.

Again, the bottom line is that on State Street is so much more valuable when it's run as Marshall Field's to the point it's an international destination. What a shame. Perhaps, though, it's not treated as badly as downtown Minneapolis. The former Dayton's flagship isnâ€™t even listed on Macy's tourist page.

A co-worker and some of her friends recently vacationed in New York City. They saw some Broadway shows, did some sightseeing and spend some time shopping. I asked her if they visited the flagship Herald Square macy. She replied, "Of course NOT. Nobody wanted to go to macy. That store is nothing special any more since it's everywhere."

This is just an example of six women tourists who had no interest in what was once a NYC icon. How many THOUSANDS of tourists have no interest in visiting other department stores that were once destinations in their respective cities? Clearly macy is no longer an attraction to domestic or international tourists; in addition to destroying the value of beloved regional stores, macy diluted its own reputation.

I loved the experience of Marshall Field's, and I'm not Millennial. I always walked through the store, just to be there, even if I didn't think I needed something at the time. Field's was an experience, Selfridge's is an experience and now Mariano's is an experience. Hey, bring on the experience. Bring back Field's!

"Macy's has a problem: It's not a laser-tag center or a Cheesecake Factory.Millennials prefer to spend their money on experiences, not the apparel that is Macy's bread and butter. "

====

Millennials will spend money on an experience? Golly! That's what Marshall Field's was know for world-wide--being Chicgao's number three destination and a world-class experiential emporium. Moreover, look at all of our many, many photos and you see Millennials who are holding signs to bring back Marshall Field's. What a waste not restore such a unique experience that only Macy's or someone who knew what they were doing with a top stochholder asset could have. Screams "Exclusive experience that Millennials want!"

Macy's is now hoping artificial intelligence and talking to one's smartphone will revive sales. Hey! How about bringing back Marshall Field's!? That would be so easy and so successful! Apparently ten locations are part of the trial. None are former Marshall Field's.

Macy's will announce its 2nd quarter 2016 results on Thursday, August 11th at 9 a.m. Chicago time. There is a web cast where you can listen for free. Follow the links to the "Investors" section at the black-colored navigation at Macy's corporate site at www.macysinc.com, not macys.com

Macy's, Inc. is formerly Federated Department Stores, founded in the late 1920s. Bloomingdale's is its oldest current brand dating almost back to the founding. Macy's, Inc., nee Federated, has only owned Macy's brand since 1994.

Consumers are abandoning shopping malls and there is a trend toward invigorating downtown areas, yet macy isn't capitalizing on this trend by making their downtown stores a destination for millenials who are bored with malls. The old school merchants realized that shopping had to be entertainment to draw consumers; macy offers mostly acres of women's apparel which can be found anywhere. Sales and stock values decline because macy is not an attraction.

Watch out, Chicago! macy knows they can "increase shareholder value" by selling off prime real estate, and they have a track record of running a store into the ground, declaring it unprofitable then making a nice profit from its closure and sale.

I fear that Macy's will do the same eventually with State St. Marshall Field's. I think The current CEO doesn't want to change the store because any big shift looks like he failed. Of course, he did. But I worry once there is the new CEO in place in the next year, he won't care what happens because the massive screwup won't be blamed on him but the CEO of the past 10 years.

I also think that guy from Target who then went to Apple stores and then to JCPenney was unfairly derided. He was right about all the stupid business with couponing and never ending sales. In fact, I recall that Macy's tried to do the same thing about nine years ago, but people wouldn't listen. The JCPenney guy should have done it much, much, much more slowly. The problem with department stores right now is that they've cut back their service so much that they have effectively become not much more than a discount store with a few shops you would find at the mall like LensCrafters at Macy's.

I also disagree with Phillip. There are contemporary businesses do well and are consistent with Marshall Field's because they offer good service. Mariano's is indeed a good example. So is Wegman's on the East Coast. I had put Von Maur also in the same category. I don't think everybody who was working at State street 25 to 30 years ago needs to come back. Just a handful. That's very realistic. I also get tired of Pondens saying that Marshall Field can't come back. It's a great, world-class brand. The scenario that MikeA describes, his point of view, is that of a Macy's bean counter. The bean counter mentality is what is killing department stores.

Let's all hope the new executive will realize that macy*fication of the nation's department stores was an ill-advised, irreversible mistake and that the ONLY way the company will survive is to GIVE THE SHOPPERS WHAT THEY WANT--and it ISN'T macy!

The downtown Pittsburgh macy store was the top moneymaker in the Kaufmann's chain; macy deliberately ran the store into the ground then sold the building off because they claimed the store wasn't profitable.

Downtown is growing with new apartment buildings and offices under construction. The city is sponsoring numerous activities to attract people and a well managed department store, stocked with merchandise to meet the needs of downtown workers and residents, would be very successful. macy had no interest in making the store successful. Truth be told, macy isn't very popular in Pittsburgh because the market already has much better discount and clearance stores.

Because of all the discounts, many premium brands have lost their status appeal and shoppers are not willing to pay full price. Michael Kors is one brand that has been hurt because macy discounts have cheapened its image.

The macy*fication has been a epic fail. The initial profitability was based on cutbacks in staffing and services, was later sustained by substitution of lower quality merchandise then was followed by extreme discounting. Sales and stock prices continue to plummet as macy fails to draw any interest from consumers. Their weekly One Day Sales and TV ads screaming out prices aren't working.

Because of all the discounts, many premium brands have lost their status appeal and shoppers are not willing to pay full price. Michael Kors is one brand that has been hurt because macy discounts have cheapened its image.

The macy*fication has been a epic fail. The initial profitability was based on cutbacks in staffing and services, was later sustained by substitution of lower quality merchandise then was followed by extreme discounting. Sales and stock prices continue to plummet as macy fails to draw any interest from consumers. Their weekly One Day Sales and TV ads screaming out prices aren't working.

Just got back from a CUbs weekend in Pittsburgh. They had their bicentennial going on with great fireworks. Downtown was lively and full. It is horrible how Macy's for a one time short term profit closed the entire downtown store and thumbing their nose on the city of Pittsburgh.

Most locals are not happy with what they did. Reading that analysts want Macy's to sell and lease back their stores which would prompt many more closings and job losses.

Also the story of the Muslim woman detained and charged $500.00 to go home for doing nothing wrong is criminal. Macy's security staff should be prosecuted for these false arrests and detentions.

Profiling innocent people is really good PR. Maybe the new chief will shake things up!!!

There are so many things that you have taken out of context or mistated. However, you do not understand fields had rafts of buyers beyond modern standards. They had women with mild mental issues knitting zandra Rhodes sweaters, buckets of women k nitting for the country shop. I'm not wishing the buyers come back to 30 years ago, just that fields had buyers that would be really hard to duplicate. That said, without the continued tradition,it will go away

I guess I'm stupid, but I don't get your nasty comments Pete, I'm just a fourth generation fields shopper, not a bitter employee.

I've driven by several shopping centers recently noticed that both TJ Maxx and Marshalls are right nearby or even across the street from each other. Why couldn't have Macy's existed with Marshall Field and Company?

In response to Jim's July 4 comments about Mariano's newer employees: I live around the corner from the Ravenswood Mariano's. Many of its employees are so young they could never have worked at Dominick's, but do a bang-up good job. Someone has trained them well. That store is THE place to be in the neighborhood, and I believe that could still happen with Field's on State Street.

I am shocked by the "Cincinnati Business Courier" article mentioned in the July 1 post by Joan S. about Macy's detaining and fining suspected shoplifters. We all know Macy's is hard up for cash, but this is so disgusting I wouldn't even imagine it of them if the facts weren't right there for all to read.

To Pete and Phil's comments. Yes the Fields that most want here comes from the Batus era, which is like a Bloomingdale's. Maybe Macy's could convert the Bloomingdale's' stores to the Field's name and have Bloomingdale's run those stores.

It would be extremely expensive to start a whole new division with merchandising, advertising. The problem that people here are not addressing is the changing retail climate especially with the millenials.

Not only is Macy's Inc having a slowdown in sales, but Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Dillard's, Bon-Ton. Millenials don't shop as previous generations did. They want experiences not fashion and style. Also the rise of online Amazon and now Jet is taking away from brick and mortar stores in all sectors. A sad reality the great stores and shopping experiences of the past is becoming harder to duplicate and run in this ever changing environment.

Phillip and Pete: Yes, some contingency of former Field's staff returning is essential to the success to reborn Field's, and yes, Phillip, I'm not only well aware of that, I've heard from more than a few who have retired from Field's, perhaps under Dayton-Hudson, Target, May or Federated. They are at our events and volunteer to me that they would be back in a second. (Not that each and everyone will actually come back.) But certainly DO hope that all the staff from Field's circa 1989 DO NOT return. I would hate to walk into State Street after a return and find it was stuck in a past time warp. Field's at it's best has a good dose of the "next up and coming thing." Yes, some institutional history is needed but there's also new blood that's needed. And I'm sure those who left would come back with new experiences to contribute. One weakness about Field's is that many of their employees are so perfectionistic that they are cynical to the point that they don't see how even Field's on a bad or mediocre day was still in many ways better than Macy's.

Back to my precedence with Mariano's, which is basically Dominick's reincarnated 12-17 years later. Yes, there are some former Dominick's people in key positions who've helped revive what was lost. But the success is also due to new people as well.

Like Pete, I felt offended with the suggestion that myself and others are naive. Not so.

Phillip I'm not sure who to think is clueless, but I think the talent is out there. For starters, Selfridge's and Hudson Bay have been mentioned as potential stewards of Marshall Field and Company. I can't believe they wouldn't have talent to select some of the unique things. I also know that there are other retired former buyers we would love to come back for a second stint, perhaps as a late career capstone or encore after moving on after the Dayton's-Target and Macy's take over. I know my neighbor is one of those former buyers who used to be at State Street and would love to come out of retirement. To say nobody in Chicago has that sort of talent is quite insulting, although I hope they would have some in touch with current Chicago tastes rather than the tastes that prevailed under BATUS ownership. You sound perhaps as if you either work for Macy's or are a bitter Field's employee let go by Target. Sure, there will be challenges but I think so many talented people including buyers would want to see Field's come back and would except the challenge. Your comments are harsh and rude so you must not be one of them.

While Staff Is One issue, MoSt Of YOU are clueless that fields had massive buying groups to bring really unique products into the stores. Target killed that. The fields most of you remember is a shadow of fields under Phil Miller and batus . That will be really hard to bring back, if ever.

Thanks to all who offered support, took photos and posed for photos at Sunday's Chicago Pride Parade. We were positively received. I didn't hear a negative word from the crowd. The photos below or ones similar to them were also posted to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.

Keep in mind that those who posed for the photos approached us about taking a photo. Because of different security blockages, we were only able to walk about 60% of the route, from Montrose to Belmont/Halsted with a couple of drop-in points beyond. We also walked on the sidewalk BEHIND the crowd--so 90% of the attendees were looking at parade and away from us. With those disadvantages, about 40 people approached us to be photographed for the photos you see below.

Also: About 30 Bloomingdale's employees did walk in the parade. We didn't see them last year. They all wore very tasteful black t-shirts with a rainbow "pride" logos. Unlike some previous years (like 2008) where it seemed in our opinion to be a Macy's ad first, this seemed to be more about Bloomingdale's letting their employees show their pride. That we can respect. So we did not walk the route with them as we did with Macy's like in 2008 or other years. (Again, for those who don't know, Bloomingdale's is part of Macy's and, as historically a competitor to Field's, some experts think that Field's was discontinued to help Bloomingdale's.)

Scenes from the 2016
Chicago Pride Parade

Signs calling for the restoration of Marshall Field's were walked up and down the 2.5 mile parade route. While there were thousands of cheers, the following are among those who called us back to have their pic taken with our sign and say, more than ever, Chicago wants its Marshall Field's!

In response to Mark and James K's conversation from Saturday asking is it too late to get back Field's-quality assistance? Thanks for your patience. There are several examples but the two that stand out as having significant parallels are Seflridges and Dominick's/Safeway/Mariano's.

But first, don't you think there would be so much buzz about Field's return that some of the best would want to come and work there?

In the case of Selfridges, a little over 20 years ago, it was moribund and dowdy. No pizzazz and considered not unlike some of the middle of the road stores run by BONT or perhaps today's Lord and Taylor. Selfridges changed hands twice in the past 20 or so years but especially under Toronoto's Weston family, it's become the premier department store in the world--voted as such even by its peers. And this forum, we've beaten to death the historic connections between Selfridges and Marshall Field's, as well as Chicago and the Westons.

Dominick's never had the world-class rep, history and impact of Field's, but it was a beloved grocery store of loyal Chicagoland shoppers. When it was purchased by Safeway in 1998, it had almost the same market share as Jewel (28% vs 32%) with only two-thirds the stores of Jewel-Osco. Dominick DiMateo, Jr. died and eventually they sold out to Safeway who in turn fired the Dominick's management. The stores were converted in Safeway in virtually every way EXCEPT name. The stores fell to 10% market share. (This is why I'm glad that Macy's did change the name--can you imagine if they changed everything to the way it is but left the Marshall Field's name? Exiled to a Wisconsin grocer for several years because of non-compete agreements, the former Dominick's management started a new chain in 2010. No, they weren't able to use the Dominick's name, but in most every other way, the stores--named Mariano's for the former Dominick DiMateo, Jr. President who started it--were a 2010s version of what Dominick's would have been had it not become Safeway. Mariano's rise is considered a reason for at least half of Safeway's/Dominick's slip to 10%. Today, Mariano's is nationally recognized in the industry as a peer of Wegmann's and Harris Teeter. Yes, there have been a couple of hiccups--but none that are comparable to being reasons for not bringing back Field's. One is that Mariano's was only 20% of the it's parent company's stores. The other 80% of the stores, located in Wisconsin and Minnesota had a long history of problems. So the parent company, Roundy's, was bought out by Kroger. Kroger is pretty much leaving the Mariano's stores alone while providing the capital to convert 12 former Dominick's fully into Mariano's. (They are starting with the Park Ridge store.) So yes, the parent company did get bought out; however, had Mariano's not been created, Roundy's would have gone out of business rather than be sold. Related to this is a few growing pains Mariano's had when it suddenly was able to purchase a dozen former Dominick's stores, almost doubling the size of the chain. I understand that the problem is they had to hire hundreds of new employees--Mariano's isn't staffed by the same union while Jewel and Dominick's were. So it's taken time to get the employees up to speed to provide quality help.

Staffing could be a real problem at reborn Field's if they brought it back to all 60+ locations nor should it. But I don't see that. What I do see is it at least returning to State Street. Beyond that and less likely, it would be great if they could return to a handful of classic, A-list mall locations like Old Orchard, Oak Brook and Mayfair. Personally, I think Macy's should fold Bloomingdale's in Chicagoland and convert the Michigan Avenue store to Macy's while restoring Field's to Water Tower Place. It's amazing that Macy's spends so much in news advertising on Bloomingdale's in Chicago for what are basically two locations -- Old Orchard and Michigan Avenue/Medinah.

We'll be out along the Chicago Pride Parade route tomorrow. Look for us and our signs if you want a "Time to Bring Back Marshall Field's", "Selfridges Come Home To Chicago: The DNA of Marshall Field's" or both.

James McKay Mark M., James K.: good points about staffing--those are the kind of questions to ask. There's actually current precedence of retailers that basically went away and is now being reincarnated with overwhelming success acclaim: they are doing tremendously (Selfridges and Mariano's). (More explained above on Tuesday, June 28, 2016.)

I think the answer isÃ¢Â€Â” you go back to a very old fashioned concept and train them.
ItÃ¢Â€Â™s like the front of the house staff in a fine restaurantÃ¢Â€Â” they are knowledgable, skilled, and choreographed.
And it doesnÃ¢Â€Â™t happen by accident. But a return to that kind of service might just catch on.

Much as I hope for a new Fields, how do you staff it? It's not just the building or even the merchandise, it's the people. It's that "How may I help you?" attitude AND the ability to actually help. There was a time, when other old-line retailers were closing, that you could have hired 30 year veterans of Magnin's or Bonwit's or specialty retailers like Mark Cross, but those people are retired now. You can poach a few from Tiffany and Saks....maybe Nordstrom and a few Oak St. stores, but those won't even give you department heads. I'm just terrified that it's too late.......and that makes me very sad.

Lundgren's pending departure is a LONG OVERDUE relief, but I wonder what the next one will be like and what he's been trained to do. I can't picture Lundgren letting go without somehow making sure things remain his way. I would rather see Selfridge's take the helm. The Galen Weston family has a better track record.

I do love the "Tribune" headline, "MACY'S CEO WHO KILLED MARSHALL FIELD'S TO STEP DOWN NEXT YEAR." I guess the newspapers don't have to be nice to him any more.

Life is all about embracing heritage and identity at one and the same time as "re-inventing" oneself. It would seem like now is the time to stir things up and make things interesting with a return of Fields that signifies identity, heritage, and reinventing! Jeff Gennette-- just think-- you could start off as a hero. Picturing it now-- "Excuse me-- could you direct me to the department that carries cajones!?"

As a WSJ subscriber, I was able to comment as follows at the end of the article.

Marshall Field's was a world-wide attraction when it was Marshall Field's. Now not so much. He could score a bases-loaded home run if he brought back Marshall Field's. People overwhelmingly want it back and it was a trade name that SEC 10 K filings at the time of the merger showed was valued as the same or even more than Macy's/Bloomingdale's and more than all the rest of May Dept Stores' tradenames combined.

In these joint interviews of the past 24-hours, Terry Lundgren comes off like a helicopter parent. He needs to give Gennette his space to be his own guy. I understand an orderly transition but this transition is so slo mo (started in 2014, complete in 2017-18?) that it comes off as if Gennette can't be trusted. Then again, Terry Lundgren designed his wife's wedding dress and set up much of the rest without letting her see much of anything until the wedding. (See WSJ, 7/17/2006.)

Lundgren: I have been the CEO for 13 years, by the time I turn it over to Jeff next year it will be 14 years and I will be 65 years old. How many CEOs of Fortune 500 companies do you know that have been around as long as I have? I would say very, very few. I have had a phenomenal experience and run here, in particular the five years prior to this past one, but really all throughout my career.

I'm feeling great about my ability right now to hand over the reins to Jeff in the first quarter. It honestly will go down as one of my greatest accomplishments in being able to give the CEO title to Jeff and do it in such an orderly way.

We planned this for two years when we made Jeff the president of the company. It was all part of our succession plan.

.......

Gennette: We are philosophically very similar, which serves us well. Whatever gaps Terry and I have in our individual portfolios we surround ourselves with talent to cover that. Neither Terry nor I operate from a position of arrogant thinking. So, I know what my shortfalls are, and I have a deep respect for the talent that I can assemble.

I have had the pleasure of serving with Terry and the talent he has assembled. So I look at him as a role model.

Regarding the post on the former Marshall Field's locations in Evanston and Oak Park, I go to the Evanston Panera Bread in the former Field's all the time. I told the employee's once I worked there when it was Marshall Field's. The employee's wanted to know a few things about the building and what departments were in the location the bread shop[ is. they said the City of Evanston would not let them make changes to some of the inside of the building because of the landmark status.

Or is he just an ass, because that's what he sounds like to us. Thank God The Post has reprinted this article, which first appeared last week in the Wall Street Journal. When we saw it then, we could not believe it--or that it profiles the C.E.O. of a company based in Cincinnati.

........

Okay. We don't care if you are the C.E.O. of a department store, anal-retentive, and a clothes horse. The groom does not get to pick what the bride gets to wear, and have it be a surprise. It just doesn't work that way. And what kind of self-respecting woman would farm out ALL of the wedding planning--even down to the design of the wedding dress--to her fiance? Can't she figure out how to dress herself?

The whole piece is lengthy, and the entire thing is worth reading. Throughout it, though, we are struck by one thought: He probably thinks this is really good PR! How could he have no idea how awful this makes him sound? (Continues at link above)

The building's near-twin in Evanston currently features a similar bank operated by Citibank as well as a Panera bread store and restaurant. When I drive by, I often fantasize how cool it would be for Marshall Field and Company to return and open a holiday pop up in the store. I still miss it as borders books. In reality, this is a much better proposal then the Sleepys mattress store that was proposed and rejected two or three years ago.

Thanks Phil...Amazing the amount of retweets and other media attention. Showed up as an urgent alert from WSJ.com on my smartphone, on par with supreme court decisions announced today.

As mentioned, Terry Lundgren will still be Executive Chairman which I don't think they previously have had. I'm not sure how independent Gennette is from Mr, Lundgren but I think he must be pretty well connected else he wouldn't have been groomed for the job.

Here are a few more links. Please add your own reader comments if you can.

"Jeff Gennette will succeed Terry Lundgren as CEO of Macy's M +3.23% in the first quarter of 2017, the retailer announced Thursday morning. It will be a seamless transition. The move has been widely expected since GennetteÃ‚Â’s appointment as president of MacyÃ‚Â’s in 2014. The 64-year-old Lundgren will continue as executive chairman of the company."

"Gennnette, 55, who will join the board of MacyÃ‚Â’s today, is a consummate merchant who will undoubtedly add his vision for growth to the enterprise. Over the past two years, he has developed as a skilled retail operator, rounding out his experience to service customers. He has been with MacyÃ‚Â’s for 33 years and grew through the ranks in several key areas."

"I expect changes after Gennette takes over. They will not be sudden, but evolutionary as new ideas to stimulate growth will be developed. Current efforts to reduce costs and make the company leaner are likely to pay off in better earnings next year. However, I expect merchandise innovation and a clear vision for growth through strategic acquisitions. Some real estate is likely to be divested and more stores are likely to be closed."

Bloomingdale's/Macy's will again be in this year's Pride Parade. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED AT THIS SUNDAY'S CHICAGO PRIDE PARADE! WILL YOU HELP FIELD'S? AS USUAL PLEASE DO NOT POST REGRETS UNTIL AFTER THE EVENT (ie please do not post "I can't come because...") Such comments will be removed.
Here are some shots of FieldsFansChicago at Chicago Pride Parades past including last year, our signs, 2008 (Macy's float behind the sign) 2010 and 2011. One year, Gail H. flew in from far away to help.

Macy's has skipped some years while others they have sponsored others' floats. A couple of years ago Bloomingdale's was in the parade. Last year Bloomingdale's was listed but apparently did not participate. This year, Macy's/Bloomingdale's will have their float under the Bloomingdale's banner. We have signs, fliers, buttons to pass out--ever -- Please contact me via email jjmckay -AT- me.com or by leaving a message at 312.662.8980 if you can help get the message about Marshall Field's out. Thanks!

2008

2010

2011

Scenes from the 2015
Chicago Pride Parade

Signs calling for the restoration of Marshall Field's were walked up and down the 2.5 mile parade route. While there were thousands of cheers, the following are among those who called us back to have their pic taken with our sign and say, more than ever, Chicago wants its Marshall Field's!

During the past few months, macy has been shuttering desirable downtown store
locations and selling the buildings. In the case of Pittsburgh, the most profitable
department store in the Kaufmann's chain was allowed to deteriorate and was not
marketed to attract customers; macy had no desire for the store to succeed. Money
from the sale of the property could compensate for declining sales.

Note the list of their most valuable, desirable properties. The former Marshall
Field's building would certainly be attractive to developers! The current store
could be downsized (like Brooklyn) or sold off. The executives at macy clearly don't
show much interest in providing a dynamic retail environment, and the situation is
very similar to what has happened at Sears.

Recent articles have noted that better brands like Michael Kors and Coach plan to
discontinue selling their wares at macy because their image is destroyed by the
store's constant discounting.

Shoppers are looking for something other than One Day Sales and multiple coupons.
There are plenty of stores like TJMaxx, Marshall's and Ross that do a great job as
clearance/discount shopping venues. Shoppers did NOT need another bargain bin!

Field's was more than just a store. It was part of Chicago's history, a part of the city's spirit. A major piece of Christmas magic was staring wide eyed at the
beautiful displays and lights, the music of the season in the store, and a MF Christmas bear under the tree. Christmas was never the same without Field's. My hope
is that someday my children will know the magic and spirit that was and is Marshall Field's.
-A.N.

Field's on state street was such a special place for our family. We were
farmers from Alpha and Galesburg Illinois and every year, we would take the
train to Chicago the day after Thanksgiving to look at the windows at
Field's, shop at Field's and have tea in the walnut room. Gramma Beulah,
our mother, Agnes, and my two sister and I. It was a long day, we left
around 6 in the morning and didn't get back on until very late. We would
spend all day there. We looked at everything, and mother let us each buy a
few things. We got to pick out an ornament for the Christmas tree. I still
have the ornaments, and until a few years ago, some red stretch pants I got
in 1963. We would eat supper in the cafeteria, and buy chocolate, Frangos,
of course.

I loved the huge rest room on the 7th floor, all the wood doors, and I swear
it had a bathtub in it. It was towards the front of the rest room and I
always wondered about it. I never saw anyone use it, but it fascinated me.
The room has been updated now, of course.

Today I saw a lady with a Forever Fields button on her jacket. I loved Marshall
Fields from the time I was a little girl. It was always a special trip to go
downtown (from Beverly on the southside) to Marshall Fields, but it was magical at
Christmas time.

Every year we went to see the windows and my dad would read aloud the narrative at
each window--long after we could all read ourselves--it was a tradition. They were
always beautiful. We have noted that Macy's is more of an advertisement.

Then we would go see the tree with Mr. Mistletoe (I'm not sure I remember his name)
on the top. We didn't usually eat in the Walnut room because there were too many
very hungry boys in my family. They would have needed two Walnut Room meals!
In college I worked on State Street and frequently spent my paychecks at Field's on
my lunch hour.

I watched the final episode of PBS' "Mr. Selfridge" with trepidation. I had already read Lindy Woodhead's and Gayle Soucek's bios of Selfridge and knew full well how it ended. I was relieved that the show handled things gracefully, and only took the drama to the point where Mr. Selfridge left the store for the last time. The employees, who knew he had been sacked, applauded and thanked him for all he had done for the store and for their careers. He thanked them for their part in building Selfridge's and told them to hang in there and keep up the good work. He sadly said he wished he could not be there to share it with them in the future. (The story also hinted that he and Mae would be married. Mae did not exist in real life.)

In spite of personal difficulties, Selfridge did accomplish much that lasts today. I am glad the series treated him well and emphasized the success.

I did not like the "Tribune" article and wrote to tell them. I don't think they know as much of the subject matter as they claim.

Please leave comments after the stories--the "comments" button is towards the bottom of the piece. Furthermore, you can help by sending letters to the editor of the Chicago Tribune can be sent to ctc-tribletter@tribune.com Be sure to include your name, city, state and phone number, along with the phrase, "FOR PUBLICATION."
[Thanks to those who reported the problem with posting and the Greek text while the blog was unavailable.]

Bravo James McKay (and comrades) and thank you! Just a thought-- would there be any structure through which to purchase stock in the new Field's. Could there be some sort of stock offering contingent on the restoration of the Fields name, brand, image. They might be surprised at how many would buy in. This is also such an opportune time to harken all the way back to Selfridge's-- there is a window of opportunity with the conclusion of the PBS Masterpiece Theater series.

The Business Insider article posted 3 hours ago misses mark. The lack of shoppers is not about "price." It is also not about "presentation." Those factors may be necessary in retail, but if exceptional product quality and the customer service are absent, why bother at all. If I want TJ MAXX bargain bin garbage, I will go there instead of Macy's. I used to have wonderful Field Gear clothes and a corresponding fashion adviser. I want them back, Macy's.

And now here's the "More later..." in follow up to my photo post on Friday, May 20, 2016.

After the meeting (and talking with some stockholders and unidentified suits on the street in front of the headquarters) Frank said, ""Field's is coming back!" I wouldn't say it's a slam dunk, and since even Field's never remained the same, it would be different, but I came away from the annual meeting feeling more hopeful.

The stockholders meeting was filled to capacity with people standing, unlike some previous years when there were plenty of empty seats. Macy's, Inc. (Macy's/Bloomingdale's/Bluemercury) CEO and Chairman Terry Lundgen gave a presentation that seemed longer than usual. A lot of it reiterated the recent problems that have beset Macy's as well as other retailers as well as much of their recent plans for reviving business.

An exception was that three long-time directors are retiring including the chief legal officier as well as two directors who have been with Federated/Bloomingdale's before it acquired R.H. Macy & Co. out of bankruptcy. Is this a change of the old guard?

At the formal conclusion of the meeting, any stockholder can address the audience or ask questions for a couple of minutes. Interaction between myself and Mr. Lundgren was cordial. As proof of continued value of Field's brand, I announced how over 120 photos of about 200 supporters were taken over several hours on Saturday afternoons during the holidays and posted here and at our website. ( See http://www.fieldsfanschicago.org/blog/s4s.html ) I also pointed out how the value of the Field's tradenames were listed higher in SEC 10K forms than all other May Department Stores combined and the Field's tradename/brand is most valuable when attached to the State Street store. I also pointed out that while Macy's may be jumping on the TJ Maxx/off-price store bandwagon (a prominent part of Mr. Lundgren's presentation), the reality is that the off-price store as founded by a young Harry Selfridge in the basement of Marshall Field and Company is the original. (Isn't Bluemercury just a reincarnation of the comprehensive services offered by Marshall Fields back in the day?) If Macy's were to restore Field's and the "bargain basement," they could actually point out that THEY started the off-price movement--not the likes of TJ Maxx. There are a few other details, but I made a special point of addressing any activist investors who may have been in the audience that as real estate, the State Street store is still by far most valuable when it is operated in name and ethos as Field's.

Afterwards, in the meeting and on the street, there were those who were clearly more than customers or passersby on the street--who agreed with what I had said. One insisted on posing for a selfie outside with our signs. (Sorry, I don't feel comfortable getting too specific on social media.)

So I hope I represented our collective views as much as possible. Thank you for reading this and offering input. Private responses with suggestions can be sent to jjmckay AT me.com

Once again Marshall Field supporters attended the stockholders annual meeting in Cincinnati of Macy's/Bloomingdale's. Thanks to Frank who made it possible and a special thank you to Bernice (age 87) who came all the way from Chicago to support the return of Marshall Field's. More laterÃƒÂ¢Ã‚Â€Ã‚Â¦

Once again I voted against all of Macy's directors on the ballot for the annual shareholder meeting to be held Friday May 20. A BIG thanks to those able to attend these meetings in person and represent the Field's cause. The fact that we continue to have someone show up says a lot.

I read the headlines and would so much love to see the Selfridge's group acquire the State Street store. They seem to be the people who know how to turn a department store around in today's economy.

A whole other angle on the real estate is in Chicago where the historic Marshall Field's Building could see immense value unlocked and MAXIMIZED if it were sold to likes of Canada/London's Selfridges Group or Canada's Hudson Bay. There's a grass roots campaign by customers.

Press Release

http://tinyurl.com/znyyc48

Photos of over 200 customers picketing for something like this to happen:

We have several family weddings in the upcoming months and it's a problem WHERE to find special, unique gifts. Up until the macy*fication, there were stores which offered items sure to be appreciated and treasured.

My cousin and his fiancee were deciding on stores for their bridal registry. They went to macy and were not impressed with the home store merchandise; they found that macy carried much of the same goods found at JCPenney and Kohl's but macy goods were priced higher than their competitors. They felt that the macy "exclusive, celebrity" home wares were nothing they would want. Another relative is so upset at the loss of Hudson's/ Marshall Field's that she specifically stated she DID NOT want a gift or gift card from macy.

Memo to macy buyers-- there are millenials who value quality over "celebrity" names.

It was a disappointing quarter for Macy's and Nordstrom, Kohl.s, Dillard's as of today.

Macy's does need to make their stores more special again. They need to capitalize more on special and unique departments especially in their large flagship and platinum stores. The old answer of selling soft goods where profit is high is not working in today's retail environment. Customers today are choosing internet shopping, and spending more of their income in other categories than shopping at the mall.

Auto sales, housing, home improvement, travel, and entertainment.

Look at how crowded airports, hotels and entertainment venues are.

It is becoming not only a problem for Macy's, but for all traditional brick and mortar department stores. Even Neiman Marcus had a bad quarter during the holiday season. Interesting to watch as Neimans and the other retailers report their quarterly earnings.

Hopefully the sad reality does not mean massive store and mall closings, leaving thousand unemployed and vacant buildings and lowered sales tax revenue for states and cities. Retailers like Amamzon not only hurt traditional stores, but cities and states, since they do not charge sales tax.

Hello friends! It's been a while since I've posted. The news these past few days is really something, isn't it?

I don't think department stores are dead like some supposed experts are saying. Rather, I think they're trying to be too much in the gutter with the likes of Walmart and Target, TJ Maxx, Ross, and so forth.

What needs to happen, is not what happened 10 years ago when all those stores became Macy's. Instead, they need to be special and unique. The State Street store will always be Marshall Field and Company. Macy's really needs to capitalize on a few very key stores. I read where they were talking about their top 150 stores. So maybe they keep 300 of them at most. But let the most special of these stores like State Street become special again. Right now there's no reason for people to make a special trip. That is why Selfridge's does so well in England. They only have four stores for the entire country! Macy's should do the same for a number of specialized chains. Let Marshall Field and Company be the first to come back in a couple of key locations.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Macy's in the next few months. If they have another bad quarter, I don't think one from his long for this world as Macy's head. But if he goes, I worry what will happen to Marshall Fields former stores. It could be even worse.

All of the mistakes made by macy have been discussed in this fields fans blog, but evidently the powers that be at macy know better. Stock prices were propped up by cutting back on services, personnel and other expenditures. Now there is nothing left to cut. Many wonderful stores were run into the ground, shoppers have been disappointed and have moved on. Is macy a better store with high end merchandise, a mid level store with constant promotions, or a discount store? Confused customers don't know what a macy is.

Bottom line --there is NO compelling reason to shop these stores. By taking over the regional department stores and reducing them to the lowest common denominator in merchandising, getting rid of special services, community events and popular restaurants, trying to be both upscale and discount, constantly running One Day Sales and flooding customers' mailboxes with coupons that don't work on anything, macy is desperately trying to find its niche.

Haven't they figured out that slapping red stars and pictures of the Herald Square flagship all over a store isn't going to attract customers? Not everyone is infatuated with "Noo Yawk" and "celebrity" merchandise. Quite frankly a clothing line associated with two somewhat past their prime musicians and home wares associated with a daytime gossip show hostess who has widely publicized personal relationship problems aren't all that much of an attraction.

There are hundreds of stories on Macy's shortcomings today, but this one stands out because the author sees Macy's as ripe for takeover. I responded--and hope you do too--by commenting that people in Chicago would love to see Macy's Marshall Field's assets taken over by Canada's Selfridges Group or Hudson Bay.

There are so many other articles on this. Here's a page from Yahoo! Business that has links to the latest headlines about Macy's problems. I've been responding to as many of these as possible in the same vein as my response to the WSJ story from yesterday that I posted below. Please do the same and respond in the comments section as well. It helps our cause. Many of the people who read these mainstream news articles erroneously think Marshall Field's went Chapter 7 bankrupt and Macy's saved it.

In the article it says "The blunt truth is that MacyÃƒÂ¢Ã‚Â€Ã‚Â™s does not give consumers a reason to visit its stores," Neil Saunders, CEO of retail consulting firm Conlumino, wrote in a note to clients Wednesday. "In many locations shops are simply not up to par: they are poorly merchandised, hard to shop, lack any inspiration, and have fairly mediocre customer service. Some of this is about a lack of capital investment, but some is about a lack of basic shop-keeping standards." They have let the stores go right down the tank like Sears did.

Sales fall 7.4% They blame lack of tourists, especially international tourists, at tourist locations. (In my book, that would include State Street near the top of the list.) More updates/highlights as they announce.

Karen Hoguet, Macy's CFO, said that their new Real Estate guru is working on what to do with real estate (my comment: like State Street) and they have much interest.

Analyst just asked the CFO are they doing anything to make bricks and mortar stores a compelling experience to draw in customers. CFO responds they are looking at focusing on health and wellness. My comment! Geez! You got Marshall Field's!!!!

Too cold, tpo hot, too wet, too much snow, not enough snow... the weather is always seems to be an excuse with Macy's.

Jake: I hear it all the time and I'm sure they do mourn as does Atlanta, Boston, L.A., D.C., St Louis, Houston, Dallas,... I could go and on...but the thing is, according to Macy's/Federated's/MayCo's own SEC 10 K Filings showed that FIeld's was worth more than all the other MayCo brands ( Kaufmann's, Lord & Taylor, ten more...) COMBINED! when it was taken over. It was even worth more than Federated's brands at the time. That's why there is so much more attention to Field's. It was more than regional--it was an international store and Chicago's best brand. Period.

Don't think for minute that Pittsburghers don't mourn for their Kaufmann's every time they're forced to step into a Macy's. The Big Store downtown ran itself. It's only through Macy's mismanagement that it turned into a shell of its former self before being closed and sold.

Jim, I could not agree more. Some have stopped going to the protests because it's like screaming down an empty canyon; but if you ask any Chicagoan, they want their Marshall Field's back. Field's was an icon, and it was born in our city. If you were born in Chicago, it was part of your heritage - every birthday, every holiday, and everyone's go-to for everyday. Other department stores in other cities paled in comparison because of its high standards and overall excellence. You'd have to be crazy to not want to get that back!

"Customers steadily continue to plead and picket--yes, picket as recently as last holiday season--for Macy's to restore Marshall Field's as a brand and ethos at its State Street Chicago flagship. Here's something customers overwhelmingly want and Macy's remains steadfast in not giving it to them. No one's been asking for all the Dayton's and Hudson's stores to become Field's again, just State Street, maybe a few other key locations. When they had Marshall Field's, they had something more than a store--a cultural institution and emporium with the fierce loyalty of an international customer base, amazingly unique compared to the many Macy's and worth the trip instead of going to Amazon. The Field's tradename was worth more than all the other May Dept. Store Co. tradenames combined. By not giving customers what they want, it's no wonder Macy's is troubled and that can be attributed to its long entrenched management."

Macy's, Inc., parent of Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Bluemercury, will have its first quarter conference call this Wednesday at 8:00 a.m., Chicago time.

This may be interesting because Macy's will announce other initiatives which could range to special sales or even redevelopment plans for the State Street store. Macy's, Inc. stock has again dropped below $40, significantly less than it was 9-12 months ago, when it peaked at over $70 per share.

Even if you can't listen, be sure to check back here on developments and opportunities to comment on any news that they might have.

To listen to the conference call, follow the links from the Macy's, Inc. corporate page to the special link at investor relations.

Congratulations to Ralph Hughes who has retired from Macy's as the vice president of government and public relations for Macy's. Mr. Hughes has had many roles at Marshall Field's, most notably at the State Street store, and then stayed on when it became Macy's. Before Marshall Field's, Mr. Hughes was an executive with Atlanta-based Rich's before Federated/Macy's converted it to Macy's.

Mr. Hughes was honored at the 100 Black Men Gala last night. Mr. Hughes has been a dedicated force behind that non-for-profit mentorship organization for many years.

Here's one media preview of the event which was also mentioned on one of the local newscasts:

Terry Lundgren's mentor recently spoke his mind about retail at a NYC gathering and people listened. Allen Questrom led Federated out of bankruptcy and then acquired Macy's out of bankruptcy in the 1990s. Then he rescued J.C.Penney in 2000s before it fell apart again five years ago. While I don't think Questrom would ever say anything bad about Lundgren, he had an awful lot to say about department stores. Some of his talk piqued me to think of how Field's return would fit his bill.

At first a new Harris Poll Rankings makes it look like Macy's is leading the pack of department store brands.. It ranks above Kohl's and Penney's. Then look closer. Nordstrom and higher-end department stores are ranked separately. Field's would never be in the mid-range group. It would be in the better tier with Nordstrom.

I pass through State Street often. While I don't buy, it's shocking how dead the store is. I don't think the store is long for this world. Very sad. It could be an international destination as Marshall Field's. Would Macy's even let it return?

Jeremy Pven is on WTTW channel 11 right now talking about the background of the Mr. Selfridge show. He says that the series is an homage to Marshall Field & Co. in Chicago where he shopped as a boy. It's very clear he's very appreciative of Marshall Field and Company.

Clearly the misadventures into the land of discounting have been an epic fail for macy. The constant barrage of coupons, the weekly One Day Sale with the lowest price of the day, and the gaudy TV commercials screaming out discount prices evidently haven't been a successful strategy as macy sales and stock prices continue to plummet.

Wonder if the money macy saved on purchasing shopping bags has been enough to compensate for lost sales? It would be interesting to compare sales at stores before and after they were macy*fied. How about a comparison of top tier credit card holders before and after? Many of the better brands fled the former Marshall Field's and other regional stores when they were converted to macy; we can safely assume many remaining quality brands will soon be departing macy.

Thank you for your patience. The ability to post new items to this blog has been out of service over the past couple of weeks. It is now functioning again. Below, you will find a few highlights selected from recent posts to our Facebook page.

Thank you to those who brought the matter to my attention, and, most of all, thanks to all for the mutual support in our case. Looking forward to what you have to say.

Macy's, Inc.'s (formerly Federated Department Stores) annual stock holders meeting will be held on Friday, May 20, 2016 at Macy's, Inc. headquarters in Cincinnati.
Anyone who owns a share of Macy's, Inc. stock as of the close of business on March 24, 2016 is eligible to attend. Stockholders who have represented the views of FieldsFansChicago have attended every year beginning in 2008. Upon conclusion of the meeting, stockholders have an opportunity to briefly address the Chairman and CEO, Terry J. Lundgren, board of directors, senior management, media guests, and fellow stockholders in attendance.

More than simply stating a desire for FIeld's return, each year since 2008, facts and hard numbers, along with pointed questions have made the case for Field's return. This year may be very heated because of the dramatic drop in Macy's, Inc. stock and the activist stockholders. Please contact me if you plan to go and make the case for Marshall Field's .[ The latest SEC 10K filing, along with other supplementary materials, can be found at Macy's, Inc.'s Investor Relations web pages at http://investors.macysinc.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=84477&p=irol-sec. You need to prove that you are a stockholder before you are allowed entry by providing a government-issued ID and proof of stock ownership, such as the original ballot, stock statements showing ownership as of March 24, 2016, etc.

[ A recent post to a web site featuring historical Chicago photos reminded me of a lesser known, temporary location of Field & Leiter at Adams and Michigan, currently site of the Art Institute of Chicago.]

After Field and Leiter rebuilt as a result of the great Chicago Fire of 1871, their store burned again in 1873. For Christmas that year, Field's reopened in the Interstate Exposition Building [on the east side of Michigan at Adams]. Later Field's had a location on Wabash, about where Carson's used to be until 2007. [Obviously,] Field and Leiter returned to State and Washington.

Although stock prices and sales continue to plummet, the CEO slashes thousands of jobs to keep his own outrageous salary intact; fewer employees result in reduced customer services; customers who can't find what they want are going elsewhere, resulting in even lower sales. Mr Lundgren's grand plan to save a few bucks on shopping bags and localized merchandising has been a dismal failure.

There is no "excitement" about shopping because there is a macy everywhere. Having a nationwide chain works for CVS, JCPenney or Walgreens because those are more utilitarian stores and shoppers go there mostly for practical items. Instead of generating a "WOW!" macy generates a "meh." Totally agree with suggestions by mikea and that changes must be made.

Macy's dismal results last year and continued cost cutting reflects more on the nature of retail in the last year than anything else.

Their their quality over the last five years has gone down and they need to make their better stores more special returning in store resteraunts more special events, more merchandise categories to include larger home stores electronics departments from outside vendors and even in store grocery. Their focusing on clothing is not working.

Customers today are not shopping for apparel as much as they did years ago. People are spending more on home, travel dining and entertainment along with autos.

Their competitors also had a bad year. Neiman's lost money in the last quarter, Nordstrom, down, Dillard's and bon-Ton down. In Fact Bon_ton is in such bad shape they have a freeze on wages and are not even contributing to retirement accounts this year. Jc Penney did better, but they are still rebounding from almost on the road to closure. Off price continues to do well as customers look for more value then ever before.

One article in the Chicago Tribune is by Rick Kogan, who like me, did think this year's Macy's flower show at State Street was really good. IMHO, the best since the store became Macy's.

He did mention us in negative way. I'm a huge fan of Mr. Kogan and hope someday he interviews myself or one of our regulars. (Mr. Kogan's father was co-author of "Give The Lady What She Wants" which was published in the early 1950s when Kogan was a lad.

Please leave comments after both stories--the "comments" button is really buried towards the bottom of the Kogan piece. urthermore, letters to the editor of the Chicago Tribune can be sent to ctc-tribletter@tribune.com Be sure to include your name, city, state and phone number, along with the phrase, "FOR PUBLICATION."

This is a wonderful behind-the-scenes account of Marshall FieldÃƒÂ‚Ã‚Â’s 2001 Flower Show at both the Water Tower and State Street stores. The color photography is excellent. MacyÃƒÂ‚Ã‚Â’s 2016 Flower Show was surely a commendable effort ÃƒÂ‚Ã‚Â… but these photos and the accompanying story suggest that more time, effort, care, and creativity went into FieldÃƒÂ‚Ã‚Â’s flower shows.

Evidently Mr Lundgren's brilliant "strategy" of reducing quality department stores to the lowest common denominator has proven to be a dismal failure as sales and stock prices continue to plummet. The macy management was able to show a profit for many years by steadily cutting back staffing, services, quality, assortments and other amenities. The management was not growing the business, just cutting expenses. It reached the tipping point when macy cut so much, there was no reason for shoppers to even bother going there.

Sadly macy is following the same destructive path taken by the CEO of Sears. Take a solid, profitable business, invest no money in upgrading or innovating, don't listen to what the customers want, get rid of popular brand names, cut back on staff who know the business, sell off assets to keep afloat. Then muddle the vision of who you are--better quality store or discounter or whatever.

JCPenney has been doing better once the management focused on who they are--a mid market, family oriented, value priced department store. The previous CEO tried to make them something they weren't, and almost forced the company into bankruptcy.

The venture into discounting will be another epic fail. Why is this macy filled with brand name, full price merchandise while their other store is a big clearance center? They can't be both without further diluting their brand name and alienating customers.

If they would have kept all of the Marshall Field's they probably would have been better off. As a Michigander, when Hudson's became Marshall Field's it was okay because the quality, service, etc. was very similar. When they became Macy's it was horrible! I miss those stores terribly.

Let's take a moment to consider the fact that Macy's has failed. Whatever move they make next can't change that. They thought they would come in, take over an iconic department store and grow their dowdy empire, and it didn't work. And it is my strong conviction that they would be in a far different place in Chicago if they had kept the Marshall Field's brand and standards. I hope they regret all the stupid, egotistical, short-sighted decisions they made.

True. Would like to be a fly on the wall in the next board meeting. This can't go unanswered.

According to at least one analyst report, April - July is the optimum time for Macy's be acquired or merged--not that it is required to happen. New owners could mean not only no Lundgren, nor anyone groomed to follow in his footsteps of not bringing back Field's. However, a new owner could be worse.

It seems that the flower show on 9 has caused some problems for Macys. Watering the flowers last Sunday night, some large mistake was made that the area on 9 flooded. The water seeped into the Wabash elevators shutting them down. Also the water damaged about 60,000 worth of fine rugs on 8.

In another note the mens store will be taking over the entire 2nd floor as M style lab will be moving upstairs. Interesting to see if they open a backstage store on State Street.

I have three beautiful mid-century coats that were custom made at Marshall Field. I tried to donate them to the Chicago History Museum, but they do not need more clothes. I was referred to Columbia School of Fashion, but they have never returned my calls.

I am relocating to Florida in a couple of weeks and want to ensure that my Nana's coats find a place of honor, representing both Marshall Field and Chicago. Does anyone have any suggestions/recommendations I can effect before my early April departure?

Nice flowers [in this year's Macy's Flower Show at State Street]. How do Macy's executives feel given that so many tens of thousands of people remained turned off by Macy's getting rid of Marshall Field's - Even after all these years.

I checked out this year's Macy's flower show. For those who are not familiar, it's different from the days when Marshall Field's and Dayton's had them. They no longer have flowers throughout the store but instead they concentrate them in one area. In doing this, they no longer have to keep the store very cold. I suppose there's conflicting opinions as to whether the flowers all around the store or concentrated is better, but that's how it is now. In the case of State Street, the show is located on 9 at Randolph/Wabash. In recent years, I've been disappointed in the Macy's flower show. It was maybe a couple of years ago when I thought the flower show was typical of nothing more than a very large Jewel-Osco floral department. Nothing too unusual--some tulips, azaleas, and other flowers one might see for sale at Jewel-Osco at Easter time. This year they went all out and did a great job in my opinion. I have also attended this year's Chicago Flower and Garden show and it was comparable in quality. My understanding is that very similar shows are being offered also at other Macy's stores including Herald Square in New York City, City Centre in Philadelphia, the former Dayton's flagship in Minneapolis, and at Union Square in San Francisco. So I have to give credit where credit is due--and I have to say they did a good job this year. That said, I can't help but wonder how many tens or hundreds of thousands are so turned off by Macy's getting rid of Marshall Field's, that they won't even give chance to this rare time when does something well.

Full page ads in today's newspapers for the Macy's flower show at State Street on the 9th floor. Apparently they are also giving bags away to shoppers. I'm not sure if it's the same Macy's bags that on 7 or if these are different. They need to do promotions to get people in the store. As Field's, Field's was the promotion!

I have been talking with the CEO of Strategic Marks for years and was very pleased with the outcome of the negotiations with Macy's since Foley's was part of the agreement. Houstonians, as well as those in other market's Foley's had expanded to in the Southwest, miss them terribly. They were much more than a store, just like the other regionals were to their communities. I did find it telling that Marshall Field's was brought up in much of the media when the announcement was made. It shows how they were indeed a nationally/internationally known brand with an exceptional reputation. My hope is that Selfridges will be the white knight (or Lundgren's successor) and bring Marshall Field's back to its rightful place in Chicago.

I hate to say it, but "pretty much" is still not Field's....that's why it is so compelling to fight for it, whole-hog. As another post-er observed......corporate greed and general homogenization have drained away even the context in which Field's stood out. I suppose it will require a very courageous entrepreneur who knows what he is doing to make it work. Anyone out there with the brilliance Marshall Field had?

Jim H: Exactly. As we've been saying, if Macy's won't restore Marshall Field's, then our plan B is to have Selfridges return to Chicago after 112 years, much as Mariano's is the reincarnation of Dominick's. At least we'd have a Marshall Field's-quality store with strong connections to the experience that Mr. Selfridge helped pioneer at Field's 120 years ago. Field's has rebuilt its flagship after other disasters. In such case, a "Selfridges Chicago" would be a spiritual resurrection of Field's, just as many agree that Mariano's is pretty much a spiritual resurrection of Dominick's.

This is from today St. Patrick's Day Parade I'm Columbus Drive in Grant Park. It was way too crowded and too loud for me to push buttons are leaflets, let alone hold one of our giant signs. Wall-to-wall people. Zero inches between people. So for the 30 minutes I was out there, I can promote, except to wear a button. Every single person in this photo approached me because I was wearing a Marshall Field button, because I approach them. Also keep in mind that I was about 30 feet BEHIND the center of attention, the parade. Imagine the response if there was something about Marshall Field's in the parade. The crowd would go nuts.

Just my take: As far as I know, Mr. Sacks has no partiality to liking either Field's, Macy's, or Bloomingdale's, nor Strategic Marks, for that matter. He just seems to be very interested for obvious professional reasons.

Mike: I agree with your implication that if Macy's had a better store than Marshall Field's, we wouldn't be out there protesting, attending stockholder meetings, having other events, etc. As a corollary, look how Safeway kept the Dominick's brand but otherwise converted the store to Safeway. The final nail in Safeway's coffin was when the Dominick's execs had their noncompete agreements expire and those executives opened stores under the Mariano's banner that are vastly superior to Safeway's version of Dominicks, and moreover, are a contemporary version of what Dominick's was before Safeway took over.

Marshall Field's was the last full line, old fashioned dept. Store left in the US. I'll never get over this. I used to travel from NJ to Chicago at least once a year to shop there. I would have been able to give Macy's a pass on this if they filled the store with quality merchandise and actually cleaned and maintained the store. Just makes me sick to walk in there to know what it was like under Marshall Fields. All of the other stores that Macy's took over lost their identity years ago, but not Marshall Fields. Macy's Inc could be raking in the money with 3 separate divisions: Macy's, Bloomingdale's and Marshall Field's, but with everything else in this country it is all about the bottom line. Shame Target sold them in the first place. I'm just glad I got to experience it.

David P., Regarding your list of now non-extant State Street and Chicago stores: Marshall Field's is an exception to all the rest in many ways. For starters, unlike all the others, they didn't "go under" financially. Moreover, it defined State Street and was its most international destination. Save for CD Peacock, Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co., the Palmer House and one or two others, most all the other businesses were locally known but had relatively little international attention.

remember when State Street was truly a Great Street - remembering Sears, Carson Pierre Scott, Lyttons, Goldblatt''s ( I occasionally worked there ) - and their bargain basement and Marshall Fields. The buildings were massive, and during the holidays it were magical with their animated figurines. The hustle and bustle of the city. I was born in 1960 - an era like no other: forgotten Chicago....How many locations from that era do you remember? Goldblatt's, I used to worker there ( many years) and during the holidays my grandparents used to buy their live Christmas trees there. Weibolts, Zayre ( Christmas eve shopping there ) , Community Department store - Clark and Belmont, AT&T Phone Center Stores - I worked there "for" years, Avondale Saving and Loan - Milwaukee and Avondale ( my mom used to work there) Montgomery Wards, Woolworths ( and eating at their diner), Aunt Jemima Restaurants, Lyttons - upscale clothing, and ........all just a memory, as through out the rest of USA, colors of individualism and mom and pa shops smothered by corporate greed - Just some kodachrome memories that have been muted in my today's bland existence.

I had occasion to be in the store this morning. (I'm referring to the State Street Macy's that used to be Marshall Field and Company.) Again, they have the Easter candy displays in the usual spots, except Frango's, including Cheggs, have been given a more prominent spot on the first floor where the visitors center used to be. They've also added "R. H. Macy and Co."- branded fudge eggs that are not the same, but awfully similar looking to Frango Cheggs. Who knows if they plan to replace the Frango Cheggs or if Macy's just plans to supplement them with the R.H. Macy & Co. brand which is probably chainwide.

The "Macy's Chicago" and "Marshall Field and Company" handbags and similar items have been removed from the Choose Chicago visitor center on the lower level to the center of Seven and also Walbash/Washington, which I've started to refer to lately as the Selfridge part of the building. They have a lot more Macy's Chicago items then they do Marshall Field items.

Also: They have redone the Culinary Council wall on seven. It used to be a lot more in Marshall Field green. Now it's done in Macy's red with more Macy's-like graphics.

Aside from Marshall Field's, I'd love to picket Macy's CEO for also helping Donald Trump build his image by selling his goods in Macy's stores as if Trump were amusing. Lundgren seems amoral. To me it's as if he will sell anything as long as it has basic legality and makes money. He could care if something hurts society by killing Marshall Field's or promoting The Donald.

Just read that Macy's head Terry Lundgren is in town for the International Home + Housewares show at Navy Pier. Lundgren is one of two honorees for their annual charity gala, It's Smart to Have a Heart. The other honoree is Lester Gribetz,president of Lenox and a former Bloomingdale's employee.

The gala is TONIGHT at Navy Pier starts at 6 pm. Marshall Field's fans should show up at the west entrance to the pier at 4/4:30 pm to protest for Marshall Field's. That's when everyone arrives and will see it. Short notice but if you are in the area, you should be able to make it.

I saw all those beautiful "Selfies for Selfridge's" photos and am not surprised at the number of them. I still get comments on my Field's button and in some of the most unexpected places. I was trying to cross a street downtown in Chicago during one of our recent windstorms. A person noticed my button and asked about it. I did my best to explain to her while we were trying to make it though the intersection without being blown over.

I would love to see a white night come and grab the store away from Macy's, but don't know if Strategic Marks was really the best person for the job. The news articles sound like he is content to just move on without it. I would rather see Selfridge's get it.

Macy's did the wrong thing in taking out Marshall Field's. If they had bought Carson's and changed them to Macy's, I don't think people would have minded. Carson's was Bergner's since 1990s and their logos even look close enough. What a mistake by Macy's.

Referencing Dave Andrew's post from last night aboutthe Cincinnati Business Journal's coverage of the trademark case, it's interesting how all these out of town articles focus on how Macy's is keeping Marshall Field's. You'd expect St Louis Post DIspatch to feature Robinson-May's potential return since it was based there or Cincinnati would recall its stores lost to Macy's--but they headline Marshall Field's. Indeed, another example of how Field's was more valuable and stood out as a national (and international) brand.

Macy's loses legacy department store brands, keeps Marshall Field's, in settlement - Cincinnati Business Journal.
Cincinnati-based Macy's Inc. is losing some of its legacy department store brands but retaining some big names in a settlement with a California-based company.

The headline specifically states that macy "keeps Marshall Field's" while relinquishing other nameplates. Perhaps the implication is that macy realizes Field's is too valuable to give up; if that is indeed the case, then why aren't they bringing it back so they can reap some of the value? Also noted they are retaining Lazarus and Kaufmann's--could it be that macy is also a flop in Columbus and Pittsburgh.

bamberger*s was a very nice regional department store chain serving New Jersey with some stores in the Baltimore and Philly areas. It was a sister store to the "real" R.H. Macy and offered quality merchandise and good value. That being said, there probably hasn't been a groundswell of demand to bring back bamberger*s.

Macy's keeps Marshall Field's name in court settlement over dormant brands
"Macy's, which retired the Marshall Field's name a decade ago, will keep the rights to the beloved Chicago brand as part of a court settlement reached with aÃƒÂƒÃ‚Â¢ÃƒÂ‚Ã‚Â€ÃƒÂ‚Ã‚Â¦"

Please contribute your own comments beneath the as you are moved and as you have content access. Furthermore, letters to the editor of the Chicago Tribune can be sent to ctc-tribletter@tribune.com Be sure to include your name, city, state and phone number, along with the phrase, "FOR PUBLICATION."

Timothy: That's a good way to look at this. Moreover, I'm sure you are like me--you hope or and even feel confidence that Lundgren's successor already recognizes restoring Field's in ethos, culture and name, even before this. Before this suit arose, Macy's spokespeople have responded to our protest rallies in publications like the Chicago Tribune that Macy's had no plans to restore Marshall Field's.

The New York Post
California company to revive shelved department stores
At least half a dozen defunct department stores will get a second lease on life. A six-year legal battle between Macy's -- which owns more than 20 trademarks for departed chains, including Marshall...

I think they are only imaginative enough to be dog-in-the-manger. They don't wannabe Marshall Field's and they don't want anyone else to go there either. At this point, they have a long track record of mediocrityÃƒÂƒÃ‚Â‚ÃƒÂ‚Ã‚Â— it would be a shame to spoil it now.

Why didn't macy release ALL the historic nameplates? Perhaps they are retaining the top tier names and are planning to bring them back. Could they have figured out that shoppers are bored with seeing the macy name everywhere and that the value of their own brand has been diluted. Did they finally realize travelers and tourists did NOT see macy as a destination since it's no longer unique to New York--and NO visitor to Chicago, Philly, Atlanta, Miami or other metro area will seek out a macy. Maybe they realize it was a poor business decision to homogenize the shopping experience by having a macy store at every shopping mall everywhere--and they finally see the value of giving the customers what they want.

Newport man wins brands for 7 department stores
OCREGISTER.COM
The long-disappeared Jordan Marsh blueberry muffins may be making a comeback. And customers could soon be shopping for apparel and goods from department stores such as Bullocks, I-MagninÃƒÂƒÃ‚Â¢ÃƒÂ‚Ã‚Â€ÃƒÂ‚Ã‚Â™s and the May Co. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/department-705976-store-kassoff.html

Macy's flower show is cosponsored by Krazy Glue? Seriously? And Macy's says they haven't taken what was once Marshall Field's down market.

The current flower show at State Street is an offshoot of what was at Minneapolis. However, Macy's has had flower shows at Union Square and Herald Square for years. Longer then Dayton's. Not that Marshall Field's hasn't had flower shows before Dayton's.

Chicago Magazine has an ad for Macy's spring flower show. This year, it overlaps/competes one day with the Chicago flower and Garden show at Navy Pier, running from March 20 through April 3 on the 9th floor as in recent years.

This morning was Macy's Q4 2015 and year-end conference call with analyst questions. I was expecting something about State Street and the real estate monetization. However, Macy's, Inc's CFO, Karen Hoguet, just said that Macy's has received great interest redevelopment/real estate transactions for their flagship stores (like State Street), but it's still premature to announce things. Not good news, not had.

Has anyone else noticed that macy is cutting back on the depth and breadth of merchandise? At a large former Lazarus in Columbus, the china and crystal selections have been drastically cut back. The linen department has shelving units filled with lots of the same items instead of a variety of merchandise. Display tables and racks have been moved farther apart.

Glass shelves covered in dust. Worn flooring and faded walls. So sad when one thinks of how well stocked and beautifully maintained the Lazarus stores always were. Kohl's and Meijer (a regional discount chain) have more attractive facilities.

Again macy management has proven they don't know what they are doing. Sections of final clearance merchandise were labeled Backstage in January; these sections have now been re-labeled as Last Act! in their stores. Why the name change--and what about the expense to make this change?

Signs near the Last Act! sections carry the disclaimer "Extra Discounts Do Not Apply" in small print at the bottom. This system is going to be very confusing for all the bargain shoppers at macy, especially since the Last Act! sections are adjacent to "regular" clearance merchandise. This may play out like the pricing fiasco at JCPenney, which almost ran that company into bankruptcy. Regular clearance: coupons can be used. Final clearance: coupons cannot be used. Perhaps putting all the final clearance items into one section of the store (like the old fashion bargain basements) would have made more sense. This scenario is going to offer the full price items, sale items, regular clearance items and final clearance items in close proximity. Merchandise will be misplaced, customers will be confused, and pricing errors and disagreements will be commonplace.

Macy's, Inc., parent company of Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Bluemercury stores and formerly known as Federated Department Stores, Inc., will have its Q4 2015 Macy's, Inc. Earnings Conference Call on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 at 8 am Chicago time. Assuming that there will be a link at http://investors.macysinc.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=84477&p=irol-calendar

I was thinking about Marshall Field's today and found this page. Our family just doesn't shop at Macy's. We tried to like it and we genuinely gave the brand a chance. It has been a disappointment from the beginning. We shopped at Field's a lot, furniture, clothes, housewares, gifts(bought nearly every shower present here!!!!). The Macy's service is poor and quality of products are questionable. The State St. store is a mess. My husband and I went to see the windows at Christmas and the grillwork above the doors is filthy and filled with trash and dust. It's so disheartening. Marshall Field's was probably considered a "tired" brand by the Macy's executives but this change has been a disaster for them and for the Marshall Field's customer. I know that keeping the name wouldn't change any of the "real" problems that department stores,in general, are facing. But that's what makes one wonder why they would take a terrific brand name like Marshall Field's and risk changing it to Macy's.

Why does brilliant Macy's need a "lifeline" unless it made a relentless succession of what many consider mind-boggling, dreadful, foolish decisions where they had a Golden Opportunity?

What good is a "lifeline" to Macy's, dying of its own determined folly? Its track record suggests it undoubtedly will maintain its blockheaded-ness unaltered during a would-be recovery.

Why would anyone expect Macy's to get the restaurant part right anyway?

Besides, where Field's is concerned, there is a pronounced malevolent streak showing through: Macy's has been pleased to see Cinderella in rags and ashes. This self-indulgence has been paid for with mortal damage rippling through the entire Macy structure-- a lot needs fixing and an irresistible restaurant won't divert attention from the plywood and duct tape paving the way to fine dining.

Maybe it was not enough to declare the edifice at 111 N State a National Historic Landmark. The goings-on within the remarkable building were part of the deal, the two were yin and yang. Maybe it is time to formally acknowledge that the merchandising operation was a conceptual national historic landmark as well, given its great influence on retailing as a whole.

Your post is absolutely on point! Clearly the macy management personnel don't know what they are doing. On the same day they announce the closing of a long serving restaurant in suburban Detroit, they decide that food services will be a lifeline. A similar article appeared in Yahoo Finance:

I only visited Chicago once in the late 1980s but I did spend an entire day exploring Marshall Field's--and there was definitely enough to fill an entire day with shopping and snacking! I do have several Field's cookbooks and I often ordered Frango and other excellent food products. Field's was a destination for Chicago visitors and a source for unique items through their catalogs.

I visited the Herald Square macy several years ago and their food offerings featured a McDonald's! Some symbolism there perhaps.

The Wall Street Journal has a story about Barneys return to its Downtown Manhattan flagship after 22 years.

This demonstrates that a great emporium can come back. Barney's return after 22 years gives great hope to the multitudes who overwhelmingly want to see Chicago's international emporium Marshall Field's resurrected for the 21st century on State Street . In retail, anything can happen!

WSJ:

Barneys Returns DowntownOnce a hub for Manhattan luminaries like Iman and David Bowie, and a base for a generation of international designers, including Christian Louboutin and Giorgio Armani, the Barneys flagship reopens this month at its original ManhattanÃƒÂƒÃ‚Â‚ÃƒÂ‚Ã‚Â…

What irony! Your post reminded me of another story I just saw about how Macy's should be attracting customers by focusing on their restaurants. They help make the stores social destinations. The author cites the new 6th floor restaurant at 34th Street NYC. As far as I'm concerned, that is based on all the restaurants at Marshall Field's.

So why is macy fighting so hard to prevent another business from using the department store names it eliminated? Wasn't macy a more powerful name because of the vintage holiday movie? Weren't shoppers supposed to feel the "excitement" of having a New York name in their dismal lives?

I would venture to say if a retailer would operate JUST ONE store in each major market under the iconic names, stocked with quality merchandise and staffed by well-trained employees, shoppers would make the operation an unqualified success! Imagine ONE Burdine's, Filene's, The Broadway, Kaufmann's, Strawbridge's, Marshall Field's. Each would truly be a tourist destination since it was unique and special! There is only ONE Harrod's and it is a major attraction for visitors.

One reason cited by macy for poor sales was lack of tourist trade. Wonder if they are afraid that a one-of-a-kind department store in a major city (or suburb thereof) with a beloved name offering quality and service would further erode their sales?

It gets more complicated. Apparently there's more to come...the reader comments after should also be considered. Please contribute your own comments as you are moved. Furthermore, letters to the editor of the Chicago Tribune can be sent to ctc-tribletter@tribune.com Be sure to include your name, city, state and phone number, along with the phrase, "FOR PUBLICATION."

Macy's might have ditched the Marshall Field 's name a decade ago after it bought the storied Chicago department store chain, but that doesn't mean the retailer wants anyone else to use the moniker, either.

Consider this story and then think if instead Macy's focussed on keeping and building the Marshall Field's brand back ten years ago.

Dillard's is now offering "Heritage" tote bags, just like Macy's. Apparently, they feel they also may need to offer something with the trademarks of the stores that they got rid of over the years. There are tote bags for Higbee's, Bacon's, D.H. Holmes, Gayfers, and Maison Blanche.